Pinocchio and the Dead Man's Gun
by CoralSnakeUSA
Summary: Pinocchio and his family must stop the Coachman and the Ringmaster from using a cursed gun to change people into donkeys, Veruca Salt's plot against Charlie Bucket, Action on three different worlds in this one
1. Another Mission

This was placed in the Disney Section because the first season of The Dead Man's Gun was produced by

Touchtone Films which is a Disney Affiliate.

A gun, touched by evil, passed from hand to hand, changing the lives of all who possessed it. Year by year its dark legend grew, until it came to be known as, the Dead Man's Gun.

The introduction to the HBO (Now showing on Encore Westerns) Western anthology series, The Dead Man's Gun on which this Pinocchio fanfic is based. This story however takes place in three different worlds. The first is the World of the Dead Man's Gun, The Second is Pleasure Island Duckburg where Willy Wonka is attempting to keep Charlie Bucket and his family safe from Veruca Salt and the Black Triangle, and the Third is the World of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory where Veruca Salt is plotting to get Charlie and have him either committed or locked up for some made up crime in revenge for losing the Willy Wonka contest via the three weeks of rotten garbage.

The Coachman and the Ringmaster, two men addicted to evil magic as a part of their sordid business of turning boys into donkeys came to Deadwood in the Dakota territory looking for a new means to carry out that business in the form of a device bearing a whammy that could be changed and could not be taken away from them. They are about to find that whammies can be a two way street when the whammy bearing device is, The Dead man's Gun.

My own intro to this story designed to duplicate an episode intro for The Dead Man's Gun.

Chapter 1. Another Mission.

Deadwood, Dakota Territory, 1878:

It was a tremendous stroke of luck for the Coachman and the Ringmaster. They found the Dead Man's Gun almost upon coming to Deadwood in the possession of a gambling den's chief "bouncer". Furthermore that "bouncer" was employed by the very hotel they checked into. The Coachman savored every moment of his observations of the "bouncer" while playing at the hotel's faro tables. He tried to get a job dealing at the hotel but this very same "bouncer" bounced him from any such employment on the grounds that he was a foreigner. Therefore the Coachman looked forward to the mishap that would inevitably fall on the "bouncer" as the holder of the Dead Man's Gun.

That mishap was not very long in coming and as happened many times before it was a highly unusual death not connected to actual gunshot at all. It seemed that one of the customers in the hotel who had just come up from tombstone brought a little passenger with him. It was a normal sized Arizona bark scorpion but a sting could still be deadly to a child or an unhealthy adult and with the considerable amount of boozing, smoking and whoring the "bouncer" did in his lifetime he was very unhealthy. The scorpion got on him and stung him while he was going to his hotel room with the Coachman and the Ringmaster closely watching him. The sting in addition to being done on a very unhealthy person must have also been been on a person allergic to invertebrate venom because the man convulsed wildly and was unconscious within minutes. He would be dead within an hour. The Coachman took that opportunity to take the gun and step on the guest from Tombstone's "passenger" before it could sting anyone else.

He and the Ringmaster then returned to their room and there the Ringmaster made the gestures and said the magic words that would change the whammy on the revolver. As to show that the whammy had indeed changed the stylized SG logo on its frame that represented the original whammy changed to an outline of a boys head inside intermeshed with the outline of a donkey's head representing the Ringmaster's new one.

"You did it!" the Coachman shouted. "now we have a way to turn boys and even young men into donkeys than can never be taken from us."

"Don't you think we should test it out first before making such an announcement?" the Ringmaster asked. "We really don't know that what I did will actually work beyond the logo change."

"Of course we should." the Coachman answered. "There is a Native American Village, Sioux I believe about a mile from this town. "They are always looking for a gun to use against the gold seekers illegally in this town. We'll test it on one of their warriors."

"I don't know about that." the Ringmaster said. "I'm not keen on losing my scalp just to test what I did with that gun. I would suggest that we try it on one of the drunks in this town. We can easily lure one of them to an isolated spot where no one would see the donkey change with the promise of a bottle. That's considerably safer than trying it on Native Americans on the warpath."

"There is a likely candidate right now." the Coachman returned as he watch a particular young buck with a snoot full staggering out of one of Deadwood's many saloons."

"Sir," the Ringmaster addressed the drunken man."

"What do you want." the man snapped back. He was evidently one of those mean drunks that would be seen as a perfect target for the gun's new whammy.

"You seem to appreciate alcoholic liquors." the Ringmaster said. "you would you like to get all you can possibly drink before you pass out?"

"Is that an insult?" the drunken man asked.

"No it is a proposition." The ringmaster answered. "Come and meet my business associate."

The Ringmaster took the drunken man to the isolated spot where his adoptive father, the Coachman was waiting.

"What business do you have with me?" the drunken man asked the Coachman.

"It is very simple." the Coachman answered. "I just want you to take this fancy revolver I found to the gunsmith shop and see how much you can get for it. I will split whatever money you can get for it." The Coachman showed the drunken man the Dead Man's Gun with its new whammy as revised by the Ringmaster.

"Sure is a beautiful piece." the drunken man returned. "Why don't you take it to the gunsmith's shop yourself."

"Because the gunsmith and I sort of had a falling out." the Coachman lied. "It seems that he thinks that this is the Dead Man's Gun or something. As far as I know about it the symbol on the Dead Man's Gun is a stylized SG monogram. Do you see such a monogram on this piece?"

"No, I don't." the drunken man answered. "But in every other way it sure looks like the Dead Man's Gun ."

"Come and hold it in your hand and you will see that it is not that gun." the Coachman said. "At least not anymore it isn't" he continued his thought to himself."

At first the drunken man was rather hesitant but took the gun in hand. All of a sudden his slurred voice started becoming braying HEE HAWWWs as his ears began to grow tall and furry. A donkey's tail came out of a rip in his pants and he could no longer hold onto the gun as his hands turned into hooves. Finally his stance became quadrupedal and his head became that of a donkey. Since he was becoming an adult donkey and not a baby one as the boys of Pleasure Island became his clothes ripped off him as he grew to full adult donkey stature.

"It does work!" the Coachman whispered in an exclamatory manner to the Ringmaster astonished at what the Ringmaster's new whammy on the gun did to the drunken man who was now a donkey. "and very quickly too.

Pleasure Island Duckburg, Duckburg Calisota, 1952:

Charlie Bucket seemed to be adjusting well to Pleasure Island Duckburg. The facts that a, he was safe, b was a Junior Wookchuck and c, was still working as the apprentice of Willy Wonka in charge of the candy deliveries to the Pleasure Island amusement parks while in this place of safety from Veruca Salt and her Black triangle masters made him one very happy little boy. However Charlie still hoped to return to Willy Wonka's factory soon. To him that was the most wonderful place in all the universes. Pleasure Island Duckburg was great but simply not as great as such attractions back home as the Wonkatania, the Inventing Room, the Chocolate Room and the great glass elevator. Charlie wondered how long it would be before Veruca Salt would try to spring something on him. His answer would not be very long in coming.

Things were also getting off to a good start for Pinocchio's family. All of them including John Worthington Fox, Gideon Cat and Stromboli were in Pleasure Island Duckburg making sure that Charlie was settled in well. After all he was their ambassador so to speak from a candy factory in another world and time and he was now in the kind of trouble that they got in several times during their original adventures. Thus the Blue Fairy found them all together when she came for them again.

"I have need of your services again." the Fairy said to Geppetto. "There have been reports of a human to donkey transformation in 19th century Western America again, This time in a place called Deadwood in the Dakota Territory."

"You mean the Coachman is setting up another Pleasure Island in the American West?" Lampwick asked.

"I wonder what he is going to use for a Monstro this time, rattlesnakes or American Bison or "buffalo".

"No there is no great amusement park this time, this is an isolated incident so far but it would appear that the Coachman and the Ringmaster have come up with a way they can change not just boys but ANYONE into a donkey in virtually any time or place they want without the need of an amusement park. All I can say is they are carrying a force with them now that may be nearly as powerful as the original Red Star that made Pleasure Island Collodi a cursed boy to donkey transformation factory that originated with a very dark being, perhaps even the angel of death himself and have mixed the Ringmaster's own magic with it to turn it into a human to donkey transforming force."

"Then we are dealing with the worst magic that the Coachman and the ringmaster have to offer because it is not all their own but part of it comes from this even worse source." Pinocchio said.

"Yes indeed." returned the Blue fairy.

"But we can't forget our problems here." Geppetto said "What about Charlie Bucket and his family. Veruca Salt is still probably after him with that Black triangle bunch.

"He still has the ambulatory members of his family here and the Junior Woodchucks can also help protect him now that he is one of them. Also the three Duck brothers Huey, Dewey and Louie have a rich and powerful relative that might help protect Charlie named Scrooge McDuck. The person who is helping Veruca most now is Magica De Spell and Scrooge's money bin has been pretty good protection against her

So far. It might be good protection for Charlie too.

"Ok." Pinocchio said. "We'll see if Huey, Dewey and Louie can arrange for a stay in the money bin from Scrooge McDuck before we go to Deadwood.

"Fine with me," the Blue Fairy said, "get Charlie and his family and I'll see if I can help arrange this.

When they found Charlie's family at the School waiting for it to let out the Blue Fairy was very satisfied to see that not only Grandpa Joe but all four of Charlie's grandparents were getting out of bed for significant amounts of time without any tiredness or ill effects. Weather this was from better food or a combination of better food together with woeful miss estimations of their real ages did not matter. They all were now very healthy for their ages whatever they were. As expected Charlie came out of the School with Huey Dewey and Louie when it let out."

"Charlie!" Pinocchio shouted. "Huey, Dewey, Louie! We have to talk to you!"

"What about?" Huey asked. "There are no Junior Woodchuck activities today so I thought we would just go home to mainland Duckburg and leave Charlie with the Junior Woodchuck administrators here. They can teach him just as much as Mr. Wonka about running a place like that candy factory he is going to inherit."

"Basically we want to change Charlie's and his family's security arrangements." Pinocchio said. "We will be off on another Blue Fairy mission within the hour and we have every reason to believe that Magica DeSpell is helping Veruca Salt in her efforts to capture Charlie. Therefore we are thinking that your Uncle Scrooge's money bin would be better security than this island because it is known to be Magica DeSpell proof."

"I'm not to sure about that." Dewey said. "Unca Scrooge is very particular about who he allows in the bin and he has never seen true humans like Charlie Bucket and his family before."

"That's why I'm going with you." the Blue Fairy said. "I believe that Scrooge will make such arrangements with me. We will be going to the money bin by transport bubble and after we make the arrangements with Scrooge the Bucket family and the three duck boys will be let out there and the bubble will continue on to Pleasure Island Collodi to Pick up John Worthington Fox, Gideon Cat, and Stromboli, then its through the wishing star again to Deadwood.

"Hay don't forget me." a voice came from under Pinocchio's Tyrolean hat. "I'm a rather steady part of all this too."

"Of course we would not forget you sir Jiminy." The blue fairy said. "Buy you always seem to be under Pinocchio's hat so I just assumed you would be there for this mission too."

As soon as Charlie and his family, Pinocchio and his family and Huey, Dewey and Louie were assembled the Blue Fairy prepared to bring up the transport bubble around them when a Junior Woodchuck leader arrived with a suitacse.

"Hold it there." the Junior Woodchuck leader said. "That boy, Charlie Bucket is our ward as long as Pinocchio's family is gone. Therefore he mist wear his uniform at all times till they return."

"But we are changing the location of his residence from the Junior Woodchuck Administration Offices to Scrooge McDuck's money bin for greater security."

"That does not remove him from the status of being our full ward when Pinocchio's family are not around." The Junior Woodchuck Leader said. "That was arranged by Willy Wonka and the boy's family."

"I don't mind wearing it." Charlie said to the Fairy. "I like the Junior Woodchucks, It's the next most wonderful thing in the world beat only by the Chocolate Factory back home." Charlie picked up the suitcase."

The Blue Fairy then set up the transport bubble around all the assembled people with the exception of the Junior Woodchuck Leader and lifted it off the ground and toward the highest spot in mainland Duckburg, Killmotor hill, the location of Scrooge McDuck's money bin.

Needless to say Scrooge McDuck was sensitive to any object of magic coming within range of the money bin because of Magica DeSpell, However when he saw Huey, Dewey, Louie and familiar people from the Pleasure Island enterprises in it Scrooge prepared to make the transport bubble welcome. The bubble landed in the money bin side of the protective mote.

"Welcome Blue Fairy." Scrooge said.

"I really don't have time for pleasentries tright now." the fairy returned "I'm only here to Ask you to provide security for this true human boy and his family."

"Is this that Charlie Bucket boy who won the Golden Ticket contest that Huey, Dewey and Louie were telling me and my brother Donald about." Scrooge asked.

"Yes, he is." the fairy answered. "And he is in great danger. It seems the father of one of the contest losers whose name is Veruca Salt was supposed to sabotage the candy factory that was the center of the contest but instead wound up with the same loser's penalty as the contest loser. He was killed by an outfit called the Black Triangle for failing in his mission and we now believe that she is after Charlie here with the help of one of your enemies, Magica DeSpell.

"Magica DeSpell!" Scrooge shouted. "Then by all means bring Charlie and his family in here. They can be put up in one of the money bin's residence rooms. It may not be as fancy as Willy Wonka's candy factory but it is secure against Magica. Every time she has tried to get my number one dime failed.

"Don't take Magica lightly." The Blue Fairy warned Scrooge. "She has access to magic of which you are not yet aware."

"In that case I think we should stay with Charlie too." Huey said for him and his brothers. "He's not only a Junior Woodchuck now but he is also a full ward of the organization while Pinocchio's family is gone. We can be sure that he stays in uniform during his wardship and gets to work on some of the merit badges that can be earned indoors."

"What about the candy making one?" Charlie asked.

"Somehow I knew that you would pick that one." Huey said to Charlie.

"Enough of this." Scrooge said to Charlie and his nephews. "Its high time we got inside and arranged for the Bucket family's accommodations.

With that the bucket family was released from the transport bubble and were now in the custody of Scrooge McDuck and the Junior Woodchucks.

Salt's Nuts Inc. Factory, Buckinghamshire England, 2005:

It had been weeks since any of the Bucket family were herd of. In fact only news even remotely concerning them was the final collapse of the old dilapidated house they lived in about a week ago. No one from the Bucket family came to inspect the damage however and Veruca Salt was counting on that for it was she that arranged for the house to collapse hoping one of the Buckets would return to try to salvage any belongings still in the old structure. But that did not happen. The Buckets were simply not in the world of Willy Wonka and Salt's Nuts, not any of them.

Veruca however was busy "Wonka-izing" Salt's Nuts while she was waiting for a chance to get to Charlie Bucket. She had fired all the Salt's Nuts employees as she was advised by Magica DeSpell and was in the process of having lavish greenhoused nut forests and peanut fields reminiscent of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Room installed in her factory. With these in place Salt's Nuts would no longer have to buy nuts from outside growers. She even thought of having a flying glass elevator installed along with a Wonkatania style boat that would use the new indoor nut forests' and fields' irrigation stream rather than a chocolate river as the stream that would carry it throughout the factory. There was only one thing left where the Salt's Nuts factory in its new "Wonka-ized" form was concerned. "Who would its new employees be."

"Magica," Veruca asked Magica DeSpell who was now her virtual right hand woman replacing her still living mother in that roll. "Now what about these new employees you told me about. When do I get to see one?"

"Right now," Magica answered. She waved her hand and immediately a black figure with glowing viper like eyes joined her and Veruca. "Your new employees Veruca will be the former Pleasure Island Minions. You will find them much stronger and more efficient than Willy Wonka's Oompa Loompas and much more geared to your's and the Black Triangle's way of doing things than they are as well. From 1875 to 1881 in Pinocchio's world these Minions helped the Coachman transport boys turned to donkeys from Pleasure Island Collodi to the mainland for sale to the various salt mines, circuses and side shows in 1870s Italy. They will certainly be strong and efficient enough to handle this nut factory for you.

"Yes," Veruca returned. "They do look like a better match for some of the business we do here than the Oompa Loompas are. How many can you provide?"

"As many as you need. They will also be helpful in your plans the get Charlie Bucket. These minions know both Pleasure Islands like the back of their hands having worked on both of them.

"Come to think of Charlie Bucket," Veruca asked "How do we get him. He is under the full protection of Willy Wonka, the Oompa Loompas, those censored squirrels, the current administration of both Pleasure Islands and Pinocchio and his oddball family. And by the way I also want the kids of that family, Pinocchio, Peter and Lampwick to get the same thing that Charlie is going to get. They are responsible for my current troubles too."

"As I said before." Magica said. "I believe that Geppetto's three kids are going to be occupied with my former partners in 1878 Deadwood for quite a while. However we can get Charlie bucket."

"And just how are we going to do that?" Veruca saked.

"With the minions," Magica answered. "these minions can go through solid walls and then become as solid as the walls themselves then are powerful enough to take the walls down. There is no hiding from them."

"Then the only thing left is how do I get to your world." Veruca said.

"That is simple enough," Magica returned. "Through the wishing star. It is a wormhole to all the various timelines that make up the multiverse."

"Than all that remains is when do we go?" Veruca asked.

"All in good time," Magica returned. "First we have to get this factory re organized, then we get Charlie Bucket."


	2. The Plots Thicken

Chapter 2 - The Plots Thicken

Deadwood, Dakota Territory, 1878:

Stromboli was one of the least enthusiastic members of Pinocchio's family when it came to going back to America's "wild West" for yet a third time. And the first sight of Deadwood made his feelings about this particular trip even more pronounced. Indeed Deadwood was the worst of the Western towns that Pinocchio's family had been in. There were much fewer brick buildings in the town which pretty much showed the level of civilization it possessed. In fact many of its buildings were still just tents with false fronts on them but mostly Deadwood was a wood frame town. As with the coachman and the Ringmaster before them the first order of business was to find a hotel that was not just simply a rent by the hour whorehouse. The found one in one of the few brick buildings that deadwood had and registered the entire group under the name Geppetto. Fortunately Pinocchio's family did not choose the wood frame hotel on the same street. This was where the Coachman and the Ringmaster were staying.

"I wonder why I wasn't made a puppet again like I was with the Tombstone mission." Pinocchio asked.

"Probably because in the case you won't be sharing company in this town with a man like "Doc" Holliday who had terminal consumption." Geppetto suggested. "However I do think we should get on with finding the Coachman and the Ringmaster and finding out what their new source of person to donkey transforming power is."

"There isa one other hotel on thisa street that isa a genuine hotel." Stromboli said.

"And you assume the Coachman and the Ringmaster are there?" Gideon Cat asked.

"Ia certainly do." Stromboli said. "The other placea is a wood frame structure thata also includes gambling, drinking anda other activities the Coachman and Ringmaster go for."

"Yes," John Worthington Fox interrupted. "That place is the perfect place for the Coachman and the Ringmaster. It reminds me of the Red Lobster back home where I used to conduct my business with the Coachman in my more crooked times."

"Then I think your assignment should be to spy on the Coachman and the ringmaster at that other hotel and see if you can find out what he is using to change people into donkeys with now." Geppetto said.

"And mine." John Worthington Fox said.

"The woods around the town." Geppetto returned. "as an animal you will be safe from Native American attacks yet still have the intelligence needed to keep a watch on the Coachman and the Ringmaster if they should leave town."

"And me?" Gideon asked.

"You can accompany Pinocchio, Peter, Lampwick and Jiminy in the town itself. You will just seem to be a pet cat belonging to the boys but still be an effective spy because of your anthropomorphic intelligence. As for myself, I'll just stay here for now."

With that the rest of the family left the hotel room for their assignments. Gideon in fact turned out to be the lucky one while doing a stray cat routine behind the wood frame hotel where the Coachman and the Ringmaster were staying. It was during this routine that Gideon caught a conversation between the pair in the alley behind the hotel.

"They're here." The Ringmaster said. "I can feel it."

"So what if they are." the Coachman returned. "It just means that we finally get Pinocchio and turn him into a donkey. Even he is not immune to this." The Coachman produced a revolver of highly engraved quality. "All he has to do is touch this, even if I throw it at him and the change is inevitable. The two whammies on it are so powerful."

"Just make sure that you only touch that thing with gloved hands." the Ringmaster returned. "The double dose of cursed magic running through that thing may just be powerful enough to turn you or even me into a donkey. The other magic in it is very powerful, possibly even more so than mine and Magica DeSpell's put together."

"So," Gideon thought to himself. "That's it. That gun is the source of the new power that is being used to turn people into donkeys. In addition to being a lethal weapon in its own right it must have some kind of whammy on it that the Ringmaster is combining with his own magic."

Gideon skulked out of the ally so that the Ringmaster and the Coachman could not see him and then ran to their own hotel and to their room where Geppetto was waiting.

"I found it!" Gideon shouted. "The power that the Coachman and the Ringmaster are using to turn people into donkeys now! It's a gun with some kind of curse on it that was modified by the Ringmaster with his Alexandrian magic!

"I've heard rumors of such a gun while listening to conversations here in the hotel." Geppetto said. "It is called the Dead Man's Gun and it's the Schofield version of the Smith and Wesson model 3 revolver. It seems to pass from hand to hand bring bad luck and sometimes even death to its various owners. This isn't always the case though. It seems that good people who have encountered it have actually gotten good luck from the gun."

"Than that means that a good hearted person probably could not be changed into a donkey by it now?" Pinocchio asked.

"I would not take that to the bank." John Worthington Fox answered. "The original whammy on that gun is mixed in with the Ringmaster's Alexandrian magic now. That probably makes both especially powerful."

Scrooge's Money Bin, Killmotor Hill, Duckburg, Calisota, 1952:

Uncle Scrooge provided the Bucket family a residence room very near to the great money room of the bin itself where security was greatest. The room in fact was pretty much like the one they were given by Willy Wonka at the chocolate factory. For the residence of a rich man the room was very middle class furnished indeed as Scrooge was very reluctant to spend money on non necessities. However the Buckets were quite comfortable there. Too comfortable in fact. Just like with the Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory Scrooge kept the money bin at a very warm temperature. So warm in fact that Charlie wore his summer uniform for the Junior Woodchucks while in the money bin despite the cold February temperatures outside. Charlie wondered in fact if the local version of Oompa Loompas were guarding the money bin on the inside even though he did not see any such thing in the bin so far.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Charlie answered it expecting either Scrooge McDuck or a dog like Oompa Loompa but the persons at the door were just the three duck boys.

"Time to come to the kitchen if you want to get that candy making merit badge." Huey announced. All three duck boys were attired in their own uniform coats and Junior Woodchuck hats. "We as brigadier generals have the privilege of passing you on it if you do good."

"What candy to I have to make in order to earn it" Charlie asked.

"Your choice of three kinds," Huey said "hard candy, taffy or rock candy."

"I think I'll choose taffy," Charlie returned. "Kind of reminds me of Mike Teavee, one of the other kids in the contest I won and what happened to him when he lost." Charlie had a smirky smile on his face when he mentioned Mike Teavee that told Huey, Dewey and Louie that what happened to this Mike Teavee boy had something to do with a taffy pulling machine at Willy Wonka's factory.

"Here is the official Junior Woodchuck recipe for taffy then." Huey gave the card with the recipe to Charlie.

"Just one thing" Charlie asked. "Why does Scrooge keep it so toasty in here? I know the reason that Willy Wonka maintains temperatures like this in the chocolate factory. It is for the Benefit of the Oompa Loompas, a tropical people from my own world and time that can't stand the cold as yet."

"Well there is nothing like the Oompa Loompas here." Dewey said. "Unca Scrooge maintains high temperatures in here because he enjoys swimming, in his MONEY which can get just as cold as water in the wintertime without turning up the heat."

"This place is indeed getting to be almost as fascinating as the chocolate factory, but only almost, Nothing, absolutely nothing can beat the chocolate factory, It is the most wonderful place in its whole world and I would sure like to show it to you if Mr. Wonka will allow it."

"Fine," Huey said. "But well discuss any arrangements involving the chocolate factory later. Right now I want to see you as at least a Colonel before this wardship of yours ends so lets get to work on that candy making merit badge and maybe some others.

Salt's Nuts, Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom, 2005

Veruca had finally finished her "Wonka-izing" projects for Salt's nuts. There were a few differences from Wanka's paradise factory however. For one the Saltania, Veruca's personal boat to travel through the new factory in its irrigation streams was a steam engined vessel with alcohol fired boilers as that was the only kind the Pleasure Island Minions were familiar with, however it was long like Wonka's Viking ship like vessel with six steam paddle wheel engines with alcohol fired boilers each maintained by a four man crew of minions. Instead of a seahorse head however the Saltania had the head of the European Viper as the main part of its bow and the short upturned tail of that snake for its stern. The deck was marked in the zig zag pattern of the same venomous snake. It seemed in its design that the Saltania matched Veruca's personality as much as the Wonkatania matched Willy Wonka's.

A great glass elevator was not needed because the vast new greenhouses with fields and forests of various nut bearing plants and trees were all at ground level so that they could catch the necessary sunshine needed by live plants. All and all however the new Salt's Nuts was a dream come true for Veruca and would soon become a nightmare come true for Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka. After all the Chocolate Room and the Wonkatania were the only part of the Wonka Factory that Veruca really liked during the tour and the various nut greenhouses and the Saltania were those things but better matched to Veruca's spoiled rotten and wicked personality.

"Why don't we just do an "Augustus Gloop" job on Charlie when we get him." Veruca asked Magica DeSpell during one of the rides on the Saltania when both were present. "Let him fall into one of these water rivers that leads to the nut shredder and have the minions come up with a song for the event to "entertain" his family just like Wonka did to us with his traps and Oompa Loompas?"

"No, we don't want any trouble with the law." Magica said. "We should go along with your original plan of getting the law to take care of Charlie for us."

"But what law?" Veruca asked.

"I'm thinking that your United Kingdom's Public Order Act of 1936 might work for us in this case." Magica answered. "You see, In all probability Charlie belongs to the Junior Woodchucks now. That Scout like organization of my world is always trying to grab every boy that Geppetto brings home with him from his assorted space-time journeys sooner or later. The Junior Woodchucks are somewhat like your Boy Scouts but their origin is not the same. You see the Junior Woodchucks are a direct descendent of the Woodchuck Militia of Calisota which was both a political and paramilitary adult organization of my world's 19th century. The Public Order act bans the paramilitary activities of such organizations and their uniforms."

"You don't mean that this Calisota was governed by fascists during the 19th century of your world." Veruca returned. "Oswald Mosley's British Fascists were what the Public Order Act of 1936 was designed to keep under control. I learned that in my exclusive Public School.

"That is so," Magica returned. "But it also controlled a wood crafting organization similar to the Boy Scouts and the Junior Woodchucks called the Kibbo Kift when that organization went political under the Social Credit Party banner as well. The Junior Woodchucks are such an unknown as a real organization in this world that we can easily say they are the youth wing of an obscure adult right wing political organization called the Woodchuck Militia from the United States and as such in Violation of the Public Order Act of 1936 here in the United Kingdom.

"Okay," Veruca said. "We'll go with trying to get Charlie charged under the Public order act of 1936 for now but we must have a backup plan in case that fails.

"That's simple enough." Magica returned. "You even suggested the alternative yourself. Insanity and commitment to a mental hospital. After all who is going to believe that a boy who claims to have been on a world of duck, chicken and dog people and has friends from a world where Pinoccchio is a true story is NOT certifiably insane. Now the only matter remaining is when do we go to my world?"

"The sooner the better." Veruca answered. The sooner we get Charlie Bucket separated from Willy Wonka the better. Then we can proceed to do what dad failed to do, Put Willy Wonka, his factory and his Oompa Loompas out of business."

Suddenly a red transport bubble similar in every other way to the blue ones that the Blue Fairy uses formed around Magica and Veruca. It then lifted off the ground and out of one of the open greenhouse windows of Veruca's new nut paradise.

"Next stop, Duckburg." Magica announced.

Deadwood, Dakota Territory, 1878:

The Coachman and the Ringmaster were long on magic but short on money and were days from being kicked out of their hotel for expired rent. They saw only one way out of that particular problem. They had to turn someone into and sell a donkey or two quick. Their first opportunity arose shortly after they left town. They deliberately ignored the bison skull warning posts along the route out of town that they took. They were signs that they were entering the true Dakota territory. That still held by the Native Americans known as the Dakota or Sioux. Their plan was simple. To offer the Dead Man's Gun to one or more of the Dakota in return for their lives and their passage and as soon as any one of them took it they would have new donkeys to sell.

It was not long before four young Dakotas, probably a buffalo or bison hunting party found the obese white man and the tall colorfully dressed black man and immediately warned. "You do not belong here!, Leave for your town at once or die the torture of the watered hide ropes."

The Coachman knew this torture well. Basically the victim was tied up with wet leather hide straps and left out in the sun for the straps to dry. As the straps dried they pulled like a torture rack on the person causing great pain and eventually death from the dislocation of bones and organs. Anyone who would do that to a person would become a donkey very quickly under the gun's double whammy influence.

"The Coachman addressed the man who warned them as the obvious English speaker of the four. "Sir,"

he said, "I would like to trade for safe passage through your territory."

"And what do you have to trade?" the young Dakota bison hunter asked.

"This," The Coachman returned producing the Dead Man's Gun. "It is said that this gun never misses what it is aimed at."

"That is impossible." the young Dakota said. "No gun alone is accurate enough to hit every time regardless of the skill of the shooter."

"Then try it." The Coachman returned. You'll see."

"The Dakota grabbed the gun and immediately felt something dark come over him. It seemed as if another animal had come to possess him and change his very body to its form. It was then that he remembered the main vision he had experienced during the Sun Dance. It was a vision of lost humanity due to a weapon presented him by a white man and a black man. Just as with most such visions this one was coming true now. Almost at once the Dakota's ears changed from human to donkey and he sprouted a donkey's tail. His hands clasped into fists involuntarily and became rock hard as did his feet followed by his losing his bipedal balance and being forced to take a quadrupedal stance. Finally he grew out of his clothes and became a fine adult donkey. Needless to say the three other Dakotas became very scared of the gun and the White man and the Black man who owned it. This was a spiritual level horror that hot even the army or the gold prospectors could come up with.

"Well take the one." The Coachman then said to the Ringmaster. "He'll probably sell for enough for us to dump our old hotel and get rooms in the one where Pinocchio's family are staying."

"Why would you want to stay there?" The Ringmaster asked. "We would surely be found out.

"For the opportunity to turn Pinocchio, Lampwick and that Peter kid into donkeys of course." The Coachman said. "All we have to do is slip this into their beds one at a time and they are sure to touch it in their sleep then ZOOMOOO!, into the salt mines. Then Pinocchio Lampwick and peter learn once and for all that NO ONE ever leaves Pleasure Island AS A BOY!"

An obscure local Park in Duckburg, Duckburg Calisota, 1952:

When the transport bubble dissipated Veruca Salt and Magica Se Spell found themselves in one of the many obscure seldom visited local parks that all large cities have. The only think different about it was its few patrons. All of them were some type of very human anthropomorphic animal. Dog types seemed to predominate but there were also pigs, chickens and ducks, ducks in fact seemed to be the second most common type amongst the residents of Dickburg after the dog type, As far as she could see Veruca was the only true human present. However no one seemed to take notice of that fact. Ever since Pleasure Island opened under the ownership of the Junior Woodchucks and the Administration of a true human named Geppetto the True Human type was becoming increasingly common amongst both the Junior Woodchucks and the general tourists of Duckburg. The latest known one was a Boy named Charlie Bucket who won a chocolate factory in some kind of lottery open only to children according to the gossip that spread throughout Duckburg about him.

Indeed as they left the park and walked along a busy street Charlie Bucket related gossip was most of what could be heard from the passers by.

"I hear that he is on Pleasure Island now under the protection of the Junior Woodchucks." one dog lady told another. "He is being protected from one of the lottery losers named Veruca Salt from what I hear." another returned."

"So we found Charlie" Veruca said. "Let's go to Pleasure Island Duckburg and get him."

"That is easier said than done." Magica returned. "I'm known here form my involvement with the Coachman in the creation of Pleasure Island here. The Junior Woodchucks and the Blue Faire would never let me near the place now. However you might get in."

"But Veruca Salt is known by the Junior Woodchucks too." Veruca said. "I'm the specific reason that Charlie was brought here in the first place."

"Yes, you are known BY NAME on Pleasure Island Duckburg but probably not by appearance." Magica returned. "You can probably get on Pleasure Island by using an assumed name but just in case take this with you." Magica produced a Walther P-38 handgun from under her sorceress robe. "Just something I picked up from the German Side of the battle of Stalingrad when I went check on Peter's status in the Soviet Union of the 1940s."

"I don't want to shoot Charlie." Veruca said. "I just want him locked up in a juvie facility or a nut house."

"Since when did I say anything about shooting him." Magica returned. "That thing isn't even loaded. It is to slip into Charlie's possessions. That will bring the United Kingdom's strict "gun control" laws to our side as well as the Public Order Act of 1936. This is also a firearm of Nazi Germany and will further convince the UK authorities of the extreme right Political / Paramilitary nature of the Junior Woodchucks when Charlie is arrested with that gun in Junior Woodchuck uniform."

Veruca took the pistol in hand and hid it in her own silver mink coat. Then she was on her way to Pleasure Island Dickburg on her personal mission, get Charlie Bucket.

Next: An attack on the money bin, Charlie and the Salt's Nuts Factory, More donkey transformation plots with the Dead Man's Gun.


	3. Into the hands of Veruca Salt

Chapter 3. Into the hands of Veruca Salt.

We leave Pinocchio and his family to sort out how they are going to stop the Coachman's and the Ringmaster's human to donkey transformations by way of the Dead Man's Gun for the next chapter. This one will be concentrating on events on the worlds of Veruca Salt, Charlie Bucker and Willy Wonka, and the Duckburg world.

Pleasure Island Duckburg, Duckburg, Calisota, 1956:

Veruca had been in such places before, usually by goading her father into taking her to them, Actually Willy Wonka's chocolate factory seemed to be more of an amusement park than a factory. However Pleasure Island Duckburg had too many uniforms to be pleasing to the evolving criminal type Veruca Salt was becoming since the execution murder of her father by the Black Triangle and her inheritance of Salt's Nuts.

The place seemed to be positively loaded with Junior Woodchucks, their adult leaders and administrators that did a duo roll as cops for Geppetto. However not a one of the Junior Woodchucks was Charlie Bucket even though there were plenty of true human ones present. However Veruca knew that the Junior Woodchucks would be keeping him in a special place. Perhaps in the grand administration building that used to play the roll of the Model Home Open for Destruction under the Coachman's rule of both of the Pleasure Island amusement parks.

Veruca kept her eyes and ears open however while she was in the park. There was always some examples of the loose lips that sink ships around and she was determined to sink Charlie Bucket and Willy Wonka after that. Then it would be Pinocchio's, Peter's and Lampwick's turn when they returned from their latest Blue Fairy trip to 19th century America. However mist of the conversation amongst the tourists, Junior Woodchucks and children of Pleasure Island Duckburg's orphan and unwanted child boarding areas concerned the park itself and that new Willy Wonka candy being sold in the concession stand nearest the roller coaster. Not one word came out concerning Willy Wonka's heir and apprentice except that he seemed to be in charge of the candy deliveries to both Pleasure Island amusement parks for the factory and that he was now a ward as well as a member of the Junior Woodchucks while Geppetto and his family was away.

Veruca felt that the best way to get information about Charlie's actual location was to engage some of her fellow true humans in conversation. She found a couple that looked of her wealthy class, a boy dressed an a gold trimmed blazer and black slacks and a girl in a fur coat and mid length designer skirt like herself.

She approached the couple and blurted out, "Think that Charlie Bucket is in the administration building? That is certainly where I would keep him if I were Protecting him."

"And just what business is Charlie Bucket's location of yours." the boy snapped.

"And just what was that snap for." Veruca returned. "We are of the same class, the superior ones."

"Our parents may have big bucks." the girl returned. "But money alone not make us "superior" ones. The way I see things is that if you are one of the losers in that golden ticket contest and I think you are then Charlie Bucket turned out to be the "superior" one in Willy Wonka's eyes despite his original poverty. He sure does a good job for Wonka of making sure that the candy is delivered to the concession stand by the roller coaster in both parks on time and fully intact."

Veruca could not stand any more of these two other children of wealth complementing and defending Charlie Bucket any more and left their presence.

"Remember" the boy said as Veruca ran off. "One of these islands used to turn boys into donkeys and if you keep up that "superior" ones nonsense you may be the first female recipient of that transformation."

Veruca took the donkey transformation threat with a grain of salt as she knew the persons behind it were somewhere in the western United States of the 19th century looking for some cursed gun to add their own donkey whammy to. The only thing that concerned her was Charlie Bucket and his current whereabouts. That was when a familiar site came from the sky in the center of the park. It was a glass elevator car containing Willy Wonka and several cases of Wonka candy of various types. If she was going to abduct Charlie this was her chance. He was in charge of delivering that candy to wherever on Pleasure Island Duckburg it was going. He had to be here now from wherever he was hiding.

Charlie Bucket arrived soon after the glass elevator landed with a guard of Junior Woodchuck leaders of the

"G.A.W.S.O.T.J.W" (Guardians And Wards Section Of The Junior Woodchucks) of the organization. The wore the adult version of the Junior Woodchucks uniform which looked like the youth version except for a military drill instructors hat replacing the faux coonskin hat worn by youth members. Charlie Bucket himself now had three merit badges on his own sash that were earned at Scrooge McDuck's money bin all having to do with things he would be doing for the Wonka Chocolate Factory when he grew up and fully inherited it. They were for boating (Considered a necessity for helping the Oompa Loompas operate the Wonkatania on the chocolate river), candy making and accounting (for conducting factory business). He was accompanied by other Junior Woodchuck youth that would assist him in his candy deliveries to the concession stand near the roller coaster that sold Wonka Candy. Veruca decided that the best course of action was to head straight for the Roller Coaster by a short cut she figured out and then wait for a moment when Charlie would be alone to carry out the kidnapping and summon Magica DeSpell's presence for the return trip to her and Charlie's own world and the Salt's Nuts factory.

Veruca bided her time waiting for the completion of the candy delivery. She watch as Charlie checked the cases of Wanka Bars, SweeTarts, Gobstoppers and other such items against an invoice he held on a clipboard. This was just what she wanted to see from Charlie. He was wearing a full Junior Woodchuck uniform with a small backpack which was probably a part of yet another merit badge test that he was involved in. (Five merit badges were required to advance form Major to Lieutenant Colonel, ten to full Colonel). Once Charlie was alone she took the NAZI gun she was carrying and snuck it in Charlie's backpack. She then made some odd motions with her arms and then instantly Magica DeSpell appeared and a red transport bubble formed around the trio and lifted from the ground.

"Hay!" Charlie yelled, "What's going on here!" Charlie yelled.

"You're just taking a little trip," Veruca returned. "to the Salt's Nuts factory first and then to Jail!"

"But what for!" Charlie continued. "I was not responsible for what happened to your father."

"Yes, you were." Veruca returned. "You were responsible through winning the Golden Ticket Contest even though you are an INFERIOR person who did not deserve to win. If I would have won we would have put Willy Wonka's factory out of business, croaked all those inferior Oompa Loompas and advanced within the Black triangle. But no, Wonka had to pick a starving inferior like you to be his apprentice and heir. Well that will soon be over with. You will be in Juvie and Wonka will have to pick a new apprentice and heir from the remaining four of us Golden Ticket holders."

"But what makes you think that Wanka will Pick you?" Charlie asked "The other three are much more qualified. Mike Teavee is very good with computers, Violet Beuregarde is a competitive go getter and Augustus Gloop is a lover of Wonka candy. I fail to see how you ever qualified at all for the special prize Veruca."

"How Dare you talk to me like that you stupid little peasant." Veruca snapped back. "I am of the Black Triangle, the SUPERIOR new nobility of this world and you were a little starving nothing that is soon to be a little convict nothing."

"And just how do you intend to do this?" Charlie asked.

"By having those precious Junior Woodchucks of yours demonized as a right wing Fascist style youth group and having that uniform you are wearing BANNED under the Public Order Act of 1936 from our home nation using means that I don't want to go into at this time."

"The junior Woodchucks are nothing of the sort." Charlie snapped back. "They are simply the Boy Scout organization of the Duckburg world."

"But they will be just as I described them as in the eyes of British law when I get through with you. But first I will be taking you on a little "golden ticket" tour of the new Salt's Nuts factory."

The red transfer bubble passed through the wishing star and traveled on to the England of Charlie Bucket, Willy Wonka and Veruca Salt.

Pleasure Island Duckburg, Calisota, 1956

"Charlie's gone!" Huey Duck one of the Junior Woodchuck youth accompanying him shouted. "Get Mr. Wonka, NOW!, he shouted to Doofus McQuack another of the small company.

Doofus looked all over for Willy Wonka and finally found him at the Junior Woodchuck club house talking to some of the adult leaders there apparently interested in Charlie's progress in the organization.

Mr. Wonka!" Doofus Shouted, "Charlie's gone, apparently kidnapped. Magica DeSpell and some girl was involved. Magica put some kind of red balloon thingy around them and they simply lifted off!"

"Veruca Salt!" Willy shouted back. "I should have had kept Charlie on the other Pleasure Island, the one in 1882 Collodi. Even with out the Geppetto family there he would have been safer there."

"I doubt that he would have been safe anywhere with a sorceress of Cerce level involved with Veruca now."

Doofus said. "The only thing we can do now id try to formulate a plan to get Charlie back."

"But how." Willy asked

"How about the other three Golden Ticket winners." Doofus returned. "None of them have caused any trouble since Charlie was publicly announced as your apprentice and heir and maybe they are willing to help him now. I know that we can't depend on Pinocchio's family until they complete their mission on 19th Century Deadwood with that crazy gun they are looking for and that means that the turning over of a new leaf by the three other golden ticket winners may be our only hope of bring Charlie back."

"That might work." Willy returned. "I know how to get to Augustus Gloop, another message in a candy bar may just do it with him. But I don't know how to contact Mike Teavee or Violet Beuregarde now."

"If we want the other three Golden Ticket Winners involved in this I think we know the only way to bring that about." Doofus said as he looked toward the Wishing Star. "Star Light, Star Bright, The first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I make tonight."

A suburban house in Denver Colorado, 2005:

It could be said that Mike Teavee learned the lesson of the Chocolate Factory well. While not totally getting rid of his fascination with television and computers he cut down greatly in his indulgences of them and could no longer be considered an addict. Indeed he had become a programmer of the video games that he used to simply just play. This led to a rather substantial shareware business the proceeds of Mike used to aid in support of his family. He also concentrated more on his school work and soon began getting good grades and cutting down on his detentions until he gradually no longer was issued them. For several weeks he was mad about losing the Golden Ticket contest but soon came to realize that Charlie Bucket was probably the best choice of the five of them for the position of Willy Wonka's apprentice and heir. After all Mike was still not crazy about chocolate anyway.

Mike was awoken by a bright blew light in his room.

"I thought I turned that computer monitor off." he said drowsily as he woke up.

"I'm not your computer, Mike." a feminine voice returned.

Mike looked ahead of him to see a beautiful woman dressed in blue flying on crystal wings.

"Who are you." Mike asked. "You can't be from one of my video games, either the ones I now program or the ones I used to play. They still tend to have characters considerably more violent and ugly than you in them."

"I do congratulate you on developing a lucrative shareware game business out of what used to be an unproductive addiction to electronically based entertainment and using it to help your family." the fairy said, "You are correct that I don't come from one of your video games, think your DVD library, the Disney section thereof."

"Now I get it, You are that fairy from Pinocchio again." Mike returned.

"Yes," the fairy said. "and I must ask you a question before we go any further. In view that you lost to him in the Golden Ticket Contest what do you think about Charlie Bucket now."

"I really don't think too much of him now except to agree that Willy Wonka was right to choose him over the rest of us." Mike returned.

"What If I told you that he is in serious trouble with one of the other Golden Ticket Winners." the fairy said.

"Veruca Salt, right," Mike returned.

"Right," the fairy returned "but how did you know that?"

"Very simple." Mike returned. "There was no doubt that she was the one of us four losers that Wonka had it the most in for because of the Salt's Nuts connection to the Slugworth Confections company. I've also picked up from several "conspiracy theory" oriented Internet sources that the Salts and the Slugworth's belong to some World Gov Satanist group called the Black Triangle that murdered Henry Salt, Veruca's father for his failure to shut down Wonka's factory from within during the Golden Ticket contest. Of the four of us Veruca has the most reason to absolutely hate Charlie. Me, I never wanted anything to do with a chocolate factory in the first place. Getting a Golden Ticket was simply a computer challenge for me and I'm glad Charlie won."

"How would you like another computer challenge. One that will help Willy Wonka get Charlie back from Veruca's clutches?"

"That would be great but I don't think I'm getting back to England any time soon." Mike returned. "First I'm still grounded for that little fiasco with the television teleporter thingy during the Golden Ticket tour."

"From what I heard you were the little fiasco with the Television Chocolate machine." the fairy said. "Six inches tall I think. Well, it may be possible that you will have to go through that again. You see Mike, I want you to infiltrate the Internet itself in order to get into the Salt's Nuts factory and possibly even into the Slugworth's Confections Factory through their computer system."

"Then what I get out of this is that you want me to go through Wonka's television teleporter again in order to get into Veruca's factory through the internet! If I can get back to my normal size again that would be great!"

"Fine, "I'll have a little talk with your father about the grounding and if he approves and rescinds it, at least temporarily then it will be off to Atlanta, Georgia and Dusseldorf, Germany. I also have plans for Violet Beuregarde and Augustus Gloop if they are interested.

A butchers shop in Dusseldorf, Germany, 2005:

Augustus Gloop also had gone through some profound effects on his character from his Chocolate River dunk and subsequent ride through the Wonka factory piping system. Not that he gave up chocolate and candy entirely but he did give up on pig outs like the one that dunked him in the chocolate river. While still large for a boy his age he was far less grotesquely obese than he was on the day of the golden ticket tour. On his own initiative he also had a gym put in in the home above the butcher shop and became a regular exercise fanatic.

It was in the gym that Augustus saw the blue bubble while going there for his daily workout session. The bubble contained two people. One of then he was familiar with, the boy Mike Teavee from the golden ticket tour. The other was a most beautiful woman in blue with Chrystal blue wings.

"I know mike from the factory tour." August said to the woman. "But who are you?"

"That is not important now." the fairy said. "What is important now is how do you feel about Charlie Bucket."

"Charlie Bucket." Augustus said. "Quite frankly I THANK him and Wonka for what happened at that factory. Almost drowning in that river and those pipes made me realize that I could died of a heart attack as a boy if I didn't turn my eating and laziness habits around. What about Charlie?"

"He is now in the hands of Veruca Salt and in some kind of danger." the fairy said. "We need the help of the other three Golden Ticket holders to get him out of it. Mike volunteered to go through the television teleporter again so that he can get into the Salt's Nuts factory through the Internet. I'm asking you if you can get into the Slugworth factory on the pretense of trading some of your lifetime supply of Wonka products for Slugworth products in order to find out if the Slugworths are involved with the Salts in this."

"Slugworth candy!, YEECCCHHH!" August returned. "However if it will get Charlie out of his pickle with Veruca I'll eat some of the trash."

"No one ever said that you have to eat that stuff." the fairy said. "This tradeoff is just a ruse to get you into the Slugworth's Factory so that you can find out if the Slugworths are also involved in this or open up the Slugworth computers to Mike's infultration."

"But how am I supposed to do out anything like that?" Augustus said. "They probably would not let Wonka golden ticket winner beyond the front door of the Slugworth factory even if he did eventually lose the main contest for the factory itself."

"Yes they will." the fairy returned. "Your tradeoff of Wonka for Slugworth candy will make it look like you turned on Wonka and the Slugworths if I know them at all will pounce on the opportunity to use a golden ticket winner who turned his back on Wonka for their own commercials and adverts. That should gain you access to their television and computer facilities.

"Then If you think I can help by pretending to turn on Wonka I'll be glad to do it." Augustus said.

"Good." the fairy returned. "Then all we have to do is make a quick trip to Atlanta Georgia to see if Violet Beuregarde is interested in going with us.

With that Augustus Gloop joined the fairy and Mike Teavee in the transport bubble and was off to the state of Georgia in the United States of America.

A suburb of Atlanta Georgia, 2005:

Violet Beuregarde was still a competitive go getter but now chewed considerably less gum then she did before the three course dinner stick turned her into a human blueberry. She was also a more gracious winner and more important gracious LOSER in the contests that she competed in. She remembered well calling Charlie bucket a loser at the Chocolate River during the factory tour due to the impoverished near starving frame he had at the time. However in a contest of BEHAVIOR which the golden ticket contest turned out to be Charlie was the better boy and the winner. She heard a lot of wonderful things about Charlie since the golden ticket tour / slash contest ended. Especially she enjoyed the stories about how he was now traveling between timelines on Wonka's fantastic glass elevator and even became a member of the boy scout like organization of one of those timelines. That was one thing that Violet Beuregarde would have liked to have won for. She would like to once travel to another of earth's timelines. It was with this thought of hers that the blue bubble appeared in her front yard. Inside were the two other boy golden ticket holders Augustus Gloop and Mike Teavee. It seemed however that Augustus was considerably slimmer than when Violet first met him on the golden ticket tour. A third person in the bubble was a beautiful woman dressed in blue with crystal wings.

"This looks like you want me for something having to do with the golden ticket tour." Violet said to the fairy. "I see the two boys who lost with me on the connected contest but where is the other girl, Veruca Salt I think her name was."

"Veruca Salt is the reason for our trip." Mike Teavee returned. "She's captured Charlie Bucket and is going to put him through some act of revenge for what happened during the Golden Ticket tour."

"Yes, I've been reading the news stories about Henry Salt's murder and Veruca's inheritance of Salt's Nuts in Buckinghamshire." Violet said. "She was the worst of us and she certainly hasn't changed a lick from her experience in the factory it looks like."

"I know you were thinking about once wanting to travel to another timeline." The fairy told Violet. "If you want to help Charlie Bucket I'm offering you that chance. I must tell you however this involves the three course dinner gum again."

"But how does my becoming a blueberry again help Charlie?" Violet asked the fairy."

"Not you," the fairy returned. "You see Violet. When Veruca inherited Salt's Nuts she duplicated several aspects of the Wonka factory that she liked. One was canning all her human employees and replacing them with a people unknown to the outside world only this time the Minions of the old Pleasure Island under the Coachman's rule rather than Oompa Loompas. I am going to arrange it with Mr. Wonka so that the Three Course Dinner gum will work on the Minions to turn them into blueberries and have them explode back into their own world."

"Now that's a practical use for that particular invention." Violet returned. "I've seen Walt Disney's Pinocchio and it couldn't happen to a better group of so called people than those Pleasure Island Minions."

"Then you are coming with us?" the fairy returned.

"Of Course," Violet returned. "I wouldn't miss this chance for anything."

With that Violet was taken into the transport bubble and it lifted from the ground and then the earth passing through the wishing star wormhole and eventually heading for Pleasure Island Duckburg. The bubble landed in the center of the park with the other timeline travel devices, the barrel ride building and the great glass elevator. Willy Wonka and several Junior Woodchuck youth members and adult leaders were waiting around the elevator.

Once the bubble landed and dispersed Willy addressed the three golden ticket winners. "I assume that you know why you are being called back to the factory."

"Yes," Mike returned. "one of us five is in trouble with another of us five meaning Charlie Bucket is in trouble with Veruca Salt."

"And I also assume that you know that some of you are going to be involved with the traps you strung in the factory when you lost the tour contest again?"

"Yes," Violet Beuregarde answered.

"I know too." Mike said. "I'm actually looking foreword to seeing the net from the inside."

"I really don't like the idea of betraying you, even as an act." Augustus said. "But if that's what it takes to get Charlie back then lets go. Just as long as we stay away from the shore of that chocolate river this time around."

"You would not have to worry even if we did." Willy said to Augustus. "I have no reason for destabilizing the banks of it this time since the golden ticket contest has already been decided long ago. But no, we will not be going to the Chocolate Room this time. Mike will be returning to the Television Room for his transfer to the Internet. You Augustus along with Violet will be taken first to the Inventing room where Violet will get the three course meal gum pellets designed to work on Pleasure Island Minions and where you Augustus will get some discontinued candy inventions that you will trade to the Slugworths for their junk. So you see Augustus, you will not be betraying me at all because I never intended to produce the inventions I'm giving you to trade with them at all. And this will get you into their television and computer facilities so that you can somehow open the way for Mike."

"What exactly are we looking for with all this?" Mike asked.

"Exactly what the Slugworths and the Salts want to do with Charlie. We have to know that so we can further plan how to get him back.

Willy showed the three Golden Ticket Winners the great glass elevator. "This will be how we return to the factory." he announced. "The barrel ride that the Pleasure Island People use is only connected to the worlds of the two Islands, not to the factory."

The three golden ticket winners entered the elevator followed by Willy who promptly pushed the new button labeled Return to Factory.

The great glass elevator blasted off like a rocket and soon passed through the wishing star returning to the world of Willy Wonka and Charlie bucket in the year 2005.

Somewhere in the Salts's Nuts Factory, Buckinghamshire, UK, 2005

Charlie Bucket woke up on what at first seemed a familiar site. A boat in the middle channel of a river with a sweet smell. "How did I get back in the chocolate room?" he asked himself.

"This is not the Chocolate Room, you inferior peasant boy dunce." a familiar voice returned.

Once Charlie regained his senses fully he saw that the boat he was on could not be the Wonkatania, It was powered with small steam engines and paddle wheels and its head and tail took the form of some kind of snake. The blue gray zig zag pattern on the deck told him that the snake the boat depicted was the common viper or adder, the only front fanged venomous snake in the UK.

"Welcome to the Saltania." the voice, that of a girl said again. Charlie looked in the direction of the voice to see Veruca Salt standing near the viper head bow of the boat.

"As you see I added some of Mr. Wonka's ideas to my own operation here. This is one of my new nut growing rooms and what we are cruising on is the nut river. It brings nuts still in their shells to the various new nut processing rooms for shelling and roasting if needed for a particular type of nut. I would advise you not to try to pull an Augustus Gloop and try to swim for it because the undertow is very powerful and you may just wind up a mashed up mess in one of my new nut shelling if you tried that."

Charlie looked down from the boat to see the water's surface covered with walnuts that were still in their shells following the boat on the same leisurely cruise.

"This is probably one of the reasons that Willy did not pick you to win the golden ticket contest." Charlie said. "No originality, you simply parroted Mr. Wonka with this boat on a river delivering goods to other rooms for various methods of production."

"Quiet, this is not a social cruise, inferior peasant." Veruca snapped. "This branch of the nut river leads to my own administration offices where the police are waiting. You will go to Juvie and your precious Junior Woodchucks will be branded as a fascist group and its uniform banned by the 1936 Public Order Act just as I promised. However If you continue to try to talk to me, your superior. You will get wet and wind up in my walnut shelling machine, the HARD way."

Veruca snapped her fingers and three figures came from one of the steam engines. They looked like robust humans but were ink black and had no face but a pair of glowing viper eyes."

"These are the Minions who used to work with my former associate, the Coachman on Pleasure Island in 19th Century Collodi in Pinocchio's world when he ran it." Veruca announced. "Now just shut your pie hole Charlie inferior peasant Bucket or in the river and to my walnut shelling machine you go. These minion folk are stronger and better than getting the job done than your and Mr. Wonka's ridiculous Oompa Loompas."

Charlie knew that there was no reasoning with Veruca. She was totally enraptured with the evil of the Black Triangle and Magica De Spell. These Pleasure Island Minions that replaced Oompa Loompas in Veruca's nightmare version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Room would be too much for a small boy who was still somewhat malnourished to attempt to resist.

The viper form boat continued on its cruise to Veruca's administration offices in silence except for the running of the steam engines.

Next - We return to Pinocchio's family in Deadwood, Dakota Territory in the year 1878 as they try to stop the Coachman and the Ringmaster from turning any more people into donkeys with the revised whammy on the Dead man's Gun.


	4. To Stop the Donkey Curse

To Stop the Donkey Curse on the Dead Man's Gun:

Pinocchio's family of course were completely oblivious to what was going on with Charlie Bucket and Veruca Salt in the 2005 Willy Wonka world. The blue faire felt it best not to involve them in that mess while the Dead Man's gun was still at large and in the hands of the Coachman and the Ringmaster. What was going was a three world wide problem that had to be handled one world and one mess at a time and the assignment for Geppetto's family was to neutralize the donkey whammy on that gun or at least get it away from the Coachman and the Ringmaster.

Pinocchio spent most of the day spying on the Coachman who always seemed to come to the livery stable with a donkey to sell. Sometimes they were young and small like the boys of pleasure Island but at other times they were fully grown and proved that even adults could come under the Donkey Curse now that it was amplified by the whammy inherent in the Dead Man's Gun. One time Pinocchio followed the Coachman and the Ringmaster out of Deadwood and saw exactly how the new donkey transformation process worked.

It seemed that the Coachman was now making his donkeys from Native Americans of the Dakota Sioux Nation by simply presenting the gun to them as an apparent gift for traveling through their lands un scalped. Pinocchio cringed in fear from seeing a young Dakota boy undergo the same transformation that Lampwick went through and he almost went through in their first trip to Pleasure Island. This time the Donkey Curse seemed to pass into the Dakota boy from simply touching the gun with a kind of poison ivy like reaction.

Pinocchio realized that this was the worst version of the Donkey Curse yet and that the Coachman and the Ringmaster absolutely had to be stopped this time. He ran back to Deadwood after seeing the donkey transformation again as fast as his small legs could carry them. On the way he saw John Worthington walking about on all fours pretending to be a simple fox rather than an anthropomorphic one as part of his own duty for the mission.

Once he saw who the simple forest fox really was Pinocchio addressed him. "Its worse than we think."

"What do you mean." John Worthington asked Pinocchio.

"The Coachman and the Ringmaster are converting Dakota Sioux into donkeys." Pinocchio answered. "If their chiefs get wind of this they might go on the warpath and destroy and scalp everybody in Deadwood and I wouldn't blame them if they did. This donkey curse from that gun is the worst one EVER. All it requires is a touch of any part of that gun to any bare skin to turn someone into a donkey just like it only takes a touch of poison ivy to make one scratch and itch. The Coachman and the Ringmaster have to be stopped TONIGHT before some Dakota war chief finds out what they are doing with that gun."

"I have already found out, white boy who talks with the animals."

Pinocchio turned around to see a Dakota Chief in full regalia with his head topped with an eagle feather head dress that had a tail extending all the way to his leg calves. Beside him were two other Dakota who only wore the Native American wooden chest protectors and leather pants and moccasins. The leather pants were kept up with a belt that held a scabbard for a steel hunting knife.

"We know all about the white man with the red coat and the buffalo man in the circus outfit and their bad medicine gun that turns our people into slave animals for sale."

"How do you know about the gun?" Pinocchio asked the Chief.

"I had it once." the chief returned. "It was bad medicine even before the white man with the red coat and the buffalo man in the circus outfit got hold of it. I know also that the white boy who talks with animals is also out for justice against these two for events that happened in the original land of the white man similar to what is happening to my people now with the bad medicine gun.

"Yes, that's true." Pinocchio returned. "The one with the red coat who I know as the Coachman used to turn boys into donkeys on an Island amusement park that is now run as a straight park and orphan's home by my father. The one you refer to as the buffalo man is known in my world as the Ringmaster and he is the man who added more "bad medicine" as you call it to that gun. You seem to know a lot about that gun, can you tell me more about it?"

"Yes," The Dakota chief returned. "It is said to come from the white man's hell and was made after the Smith & Wesson Schofield model revolver by the angel of death himself. It was brought to earth to punish criminal greed with death. This death will not come only from shoot outs but has come from any source of lethality in this earth, the rattlesnake, the scorpion, lightning, drowning, falling off buildings or horses. When the gun has done its job of capitally punishing all of those criminally greedy people destined to receive it, it is said that the reaper death will reclaim it. This bad medicine is directly implied by the stylized S and G which was on the gun before the Ringmaster as you call the buffalo man put his own bad medicine on it. Those letters were the initials in a phrase on an ancient obscure white man language that translates into current English as "To bring down and to destroy" or something like that."

"Thank you, sir." Pinocchio said to the chief.

"And thank you for getting rid of the bad medicine that has placed itself in this land, White boy who talks with animals." The chief returned.

"About that." Pinocchio said to the chief. "You see, the fox you saw me talking to, John Worthington, Is a very special animal who comes from my world. In that world his talking in no more unusual than ours. There is also a talking cat in Deadwood that is a part of this. His name is called Gideon or simply "Giddy".

"Well Whatever he is your and your animals are good medicine." the chief returned. "I'm a medicine man as well as a chief of my people and can feel this, You do not seek gold like the Deadwood white men but wish to right the injustices brought about by the bad medicine gun since it came into the possession of those who have it now. You and any other members of your party are welcome on our land." With that the chief went back into the woods with his two attendants and John Worthington came out of hiding."

"That is a close one." John Worthington said. "I almost got you scalped on this trip."

"Nonsense." Pinocchio said. "You heard what the Sioux Chief said. He has the magic of his own people with him and well knew our reasons for being on Sioux land. As you may have heard I sort of made a promise to that Chief. We've got to get that gun out of donkey converting action TONIGHT!

Deadwood, Dakota Territory, 1878:

Pinocchio, Geppetto, John Worthington, Gideon, Stromboli and Jimminy all met in Geppetto's hotel room.

After observing the latest person to donkey conversion with the Dead Man's Gun and having his conversation with the Sioux Chief, Pinocchio and John Worthington came back to Deatwood to report the results. It was at moment that even Geppetto realized that time was of the essence. The gun was being used against the Sioux and this met potential war if it were not stopped.

The plan that Geppetto devised involved Gideon, Stromboli and Pinocchio. Basically the plan was to get the Coachman and the Ringmaster to believe that Stromboli. had reverted to crookedness in order to get them out of their room in the hotel / saloon where they were staying. If the Coachman left the gun in their room It would be up to Pinocchio and Gideon to make the grab for it. If they had it with them that job would go to Stromoli. Lampwick and Peter would make the grab for the gun if either Pinocchio, Gideon or Stromboli failed at it.

It was with this in mind that Stromboli entered the hotel / saloon where the Coachman and the Ringmaster were staying. He was pretty sure that he would find the Coachman and the Ringmaster in the combination gambling hell / bar room of the establishment. He found them playing at a Faro table near the bar.

"Hello," Stromboli said to the Coachman.

"What do you want with us." The Coachman returned. "You and that fox friend of yours have abandoned us a long time ago."

"Well, I'va been having second thoughts abouta that." Stromboli said. "There isa no profit ina Pleasure Island asa it isa being run now.

While Stromboli was engaged in conversation with the Coachman, Pinocchio and Gideon snuck up the stairs into the hotel part of the establishment.

"You should have thought of that when you sided with that Blue Fairy and Gepetto's family against me and my adopted son." The Coachman returned. "Now leave us."

"Buta I hear thata you have a new way ofa making the boys into the donkeys." Stromboli said. "Maybe I cana lead you to some prospects."

"Sorry Traitor." The Coachman returned. "But we already have prospects lined up. The Indians of the Dakota nation. They are not well liked by the gold happy residents of this town so they have become a perfect source of people to turn into donkeys by my new method."

"Yes," Stromboli said. "Buta I already know froma conversations with Pinocchio thata the local Dakota chief isa on to you. You will nota survive another attempt witha them.

Meanwhile Pinocchio and Gideon found the room where the Coachman and the Ringmaster were staying.

Gideon being the more accomplished sneak thief of the two began looking in all the areas of the room where a handgun or more likely a wooden box containing a handgun might be kept. Gideon finally found what looked like what they were looking for under a pillow on the hotel room bed. It was an elongate wooden box that looked just large enough to contain a long barreled handgun like the Dead Man's Gun.

Gideon opened the box and confirmed the exact nature of its contents, a fancy gold engraved blue steel revolver of the Smith & Wesson Schofield type with the intermeshed silhouettes of a donkey's head and a boy's head where the original S G initials should have been. This was the gun that Gideon and Pinocchio were looking for.

"Don't touch that thing whatever you do!" Pinocchio warned. "Any bare skin contact with it is enough to turn a person into a donkey. Leave it in the box and we will take the whole thing with us back to Geppeto's

Room. Then I think we can call the Blue Fairy tonight and get out of here."

"Not so fast." a voice came from behind Pinocchio. He turned to see the Ringmaster at the door.

"You two aren't going anywhere." the Ringmaster said. "I picked up with my magic that Stromboli's so called reversion to crookedness and his attempt to link up with us was a complete fraud. Once I figured that out I knew that someone would be after the gun while his phony attempt to re align with us was going on.

I had no idea that it would be you but my adoptive father will be very pleased with this development Pinocchio. He has been wanting to turn you into a donkey from the moment you escaped Pleasure Island.

Now all it will take is one little touch from the contents of that box that Gideon is holding and my Adoptive father will have his wish come true."

The Ringmaster then took the box containing the Dead Man's Gun in hand and produced his own Colt Peacemaker. "You will now come with me if you please. My adoptive father will want to do this little transformation in private. Then we will see how much we can get for you, Stromboli and Gideon with the gold miners here. They use donkeys you know, under their Spanish name of burros."

Pinocchio and Gideon had no choice but to accompany the Ringmaster. He took them to an obscure ally in Deadwood behind one of the many rent by the hour "hotel" cathouses the town abounded in where the Coachman and Stromboli were waiting.

"Welcome, Pinocchio to the first day of the rest of your life, as a DONKEY. This time nothing can stop your transformation. One touch of this gun, even in a non lethal location on it like the frame or the barrel side and the transformation is inevitable. Please give me the instrument of transformation my adopted son."

The Ringmaster turned the box over to the Coachman who immediately opened it.

"You first." The Coachman said to Pinocchio. "Touch the gun and become a donkey or die a boy from the other in the Ringmaster's hand."

"It was at that point that Stromboli shoved the Coachman so violently that the gun literally went flying straight up out of the box and landed hard on the Coachman's UNCOVERED head."

"Oh NOOOO! HE HAW! NNOT HE HAWWW! AGAIN! HE HAWWWW!" the Coachman's braying told all assembled that the whammy was now working on its exploiter now. The Coachman suddenly grew donkey ears and a tail and found himself having to take the quadruped position as the transition took place for the second time on him. At the same time a transformation was also occurring in the Dead Man's Gun as the donkey and boy engraving on the frame was replaced by the original stylized S G initials. The Ringmaster's whammy was now gone from it but the original bad luck to the death one hinted at in those letters and their hidden meaning, To take down and to destroy, still remained.

It was at this point that the Blue Fairy again returned in a flash of brilliant blue light. She was accompanied by a somewhat stout bearded man.

"You are needed in the England of the Year 2005." The Blue Fairy announced. "Your mission here is in over now that the donkey curse is off that gun but Charlie Bucket has been abducted by Veruca Salt and Willy Wonka needs the help of you and your family to get him back. He already has the help of the other three Golden Ticket winners, Augustus Gloop, Violet Beuregarde and Mike Teavee but it is not enough Those three may know a lot about candy, sports and technology but they know nothing about De Spell's magic.

"Who is that guy with you?" Pinocchio asked the Blue Fairy.

"He is the builder, engraver and original owner of that gun." the Blue Fairy announced. "You might best know him as the tenth plague on Egypt."

"You mean he is the personification of DEATH?" Pinocchio asked.

"Yes." the man answered. "But you do not need to fear. I'm not here to take any of you. But I am giving you permission to take my gun into the year 2005 for possible use against the Black Triangle. That bunch sounds just like the kind of people I made the gun and put the whammy on it for."

"But If I touch it won't I die." Pinocchio asked.

"Not necessarily." the man returned. "You see the whammy as you call it on the gun simply enhances certain aspects of the character of the human that possesses it. If that character is badly flawed it enhances that aspect and eventually leads to the possessor's death but if the person's character is basically good that aspect is enhanced and the possessor will simply pass the gun along without dying as a result of his encounter with it."

"Go ahead." the Blue Fairy told Pinocchio, "take it. Your record character wise shows that you are one of those who will NOT die from having possessed it."

"Pinocchio went to the gun and picked it up making sure that the muzzle was pointed in a safe direction and keeping his eyes on the S G initials making sure that they did not morph into the donkey and boy engraving again."

"There is just one more problem." Pinocchio said. "You told me these things are illegal in 21st century England."

"And indeed they are." the Blue Fairy returned. "But perhaps that aspect of the gun may be useful against Veruca Salt. Besides in the 21st century it will not be leaving Willy Wonka's candy factory until the time comes to use it. Now let's re assemble the rest of your family for the trip to the factory."

The Blue fairy placed a transport bubble around Pinocchio, Gideon, Stromboli, The Coachman who was now a donkey for a second time and the Ringmaster and lifted from the onscure ally to the main street. Waiting there were Geppetto, Peter, Lampwick, Jimminy, (in his under hat matchbox being held by Lampwick) and John Worthington Fox.

"I see the mission came out okay." Geppetto said to Pinocchio, "But I hear we have another one."

"Yes," Pinocchio said. "Charlie Bucket is in trouble. He has been abducted by Veruca Salt for some revenge scheme.

"Charlie in trouble with Veruca Salt!" Geppetto responded to the shocking news. He had come to love Charlie Bucket and his family as much as Willy Wonka did. "Then we must get to 21st century England quickly."

With that the Blue Fairy expanded the transport bubble to include the entire family and lifted it off to Willy Wonka's Chocolate factory.

(Ending announcement of the Dead Man's Gun episode)

The Coachman and the Ringmaster, Two crooks who felt they could make huge profits through a whammy that could restore slavery by turning people into beasts of burden. They discovered that a whammy is a two edged sword, when it is added to that of the Dead Man's Gun.


	5. Getting Charlie Back

Chapter 5 - Getting Charlie Back:

Wonka Industries Factory, Parking area, UK, 2005:

Five people waited for the transport bubble bringing Pinocchio's family back to the Wonka Industries factory when it arrived. These were Willy Wonka, three Golden Ticket winners, Augustus Gloop, Violet Beuregarde and Mike Teavee, and the wife of the Oompa Loompa chief known to the outside world as Doris.

What these five saw was beyond all expectations. First there was a rather overfed adult donkey amongst the group in the transport bubble that the five finally took to be the Coachman whose whammy backfired on him because the Ringmaster was also present. Other animals that were present were a clothed anthropomorphic fox and cat. The other people in the transport bubble of course consisted of Geppetto, Stromboli, Pinocchio, Lampwick and Peter.

Once the bubble landed and dispersed Geppetto went immediately to meet Willy Wonka. "I've heard that Veruca Salt has Charlie, how in the world did that happen?"

"It seems another of your enemies from the Duckburg world, Magica De Spell found out that Charlie was being kept in the Duckburg World in the protective custody of the Junior Woodchucks and used that information to aid Veruca Salt in his abduction using her magic." Willy answered.

"Have you got any plans to bring him back?" Geppetto asked.

"Yes and they are why I've brought the other Golden Ticket winners back into this." Willy answered. "Mike Teavee knows his way around the Internet better than anyone I know of, Violet Beuregarde is the best athlete for her age group I know of and the only one who knows the effect of the weapon I've concocted for use against the former Pleasure Island Minions, and Augustus Gloop is probably the only one that the Slugworths or the Salts would believe would betray and commit industrial espionage against me when he comes to the Slugworth Factory with some experimental recipes and candies I'm discontinuing as a means of getting someone inside the Slugworth / Salt organization."

"So the Minions are back." Geppetto said. "Just how do they fit into all of this?"

"Veruca Salt has fired all her employees and turned Salt's Nuts into a wicked version of this factory with the Minions forming her new work force like the Oompa Loompas form the work force here. The weapon I designed against them is based on the three course meal gum that turned Violet into a blueberry and I'm hoping that it will have the same effect on the Minions so that they will blow up like a blueberry and explode into their own world."

"Just what do you intend to do to get Charlie back?" Geppetto asked.

"I intend to infiltrate Salt's Nuts and Slugworth Chocolates by two ways." Willy answered. "The first is through the Internet with Mike Teavee through the Television Chocolate teleporter, the second is with Violet and Augustus through what will look like an attempt to betray me in return for a lifetime supply of Slugworth candies and a position similar to Charlie's in their candy operation. Once all three kids are inside they will find out where Charlie is located and how to get him back will be up to them."

"Maybe this will help." Pinocchio said displaying the Dead Man's Gun in such a way so it could not be seen from the street remembering the illegality of such things in 21st century England.

"I assume that is the gun you were sent to Deadwood for in order to take from the Coachman and the Ringmaster." Willy said then he looked in the donkey's direction. "It seems that whatever they did with it backfired on one of them".

"Yes," Pinocchio said. "It has a whammy on it and that might just be useful against Veruca Salt and the Slugworths. See the S and G engraved into it? Those are two Latin initials meaning "To take down and to destroy".

"Well I would say that the Slugworths and the Salts are surely deserving of that for kidnapping Charlie."

Willy said.

"What you have there sounds really great, Ponoke." Mike Teavee broke in. "Would you like to accompany me on the internet jump to the Salt and Slugworth factories with it."

"Can Peter come along too?" Pinocchio asked.

"Yes," Mike answered. "and so can Lampwick, the more the merrier."

"No," Pinocchio said concerning Lampwick. "I think Lampwick is better suited for going with Augustus and Violet. He had a very disreputable former life before joining us and can help coach the other two in looking like genuine industrial spies and betrayers."

"Good." Willy said. "Then its all settled. Doris will let Augustus, Violet and Lampwick out one of the side gates of this factory and issue them Wonka Mopeds so that they can get to Buckinghamshire quickly.

Salt's Nuts Factory, Administration Office, Buckinghamshire, UK, 2005:

The Minions were none too gentle in removing Charlie Bucket from the viper boat Saltania once the administration offices of Salt's Nuts were reached. Indeed he was treated if he had turned into a donkey

by the Red Star, Probably because such treatment was their employment in their previous stay one of the worlds of man. He was followed by Veruca walking with an arrogant strut. Inside the administration office were three Buckinghamshire policemen.

"So this is the little fascist terrorist you told us about Veruca." one of the policemen said. "Seems harmless enough to me. Somehow I tend to think the only act of terrorism this kid has done was best you in the Golden Ticket contest. Otherwise he and his uniform look completely harmless to me."

"So you think he is harmless do you." Veruca shouted. "Just inspect that backpack he's carrying." she continued knowing full well what she had put in it while on board the back on Pleasure Island Duckburg.

What she did not know about however was the goings on in the still running laptop computer on the office desk and at the nearby Slugworth Chocolates factory.

Slugworth Chocolates Factory, Buckinghamshire, UK, 2005:

Three mopeds arrived at the Slugworth Factory at about two o'clock in the afternoon. Riding them were three children, one girl and two boys, Lampwick, Violet and Augustus. Once at the factory they hid the mopeds in a hedge of bushes so as to not reveal their Wonka Industries origin then the three approached the open gates of the factory grounds. Unlike Wonka's factory which was a real world fairyland even in the administration offices this place boasted a modern glass and concrete building for its administration center.

This was the building that the children headed for. The inside of this building began not with a long corridor leading to a fairyland Chocolate Room but was the waiting room of a more conventional place of business with a secretarial pool of desks with computers and women for the most part operating them.

August Gloop approached the desk nearest him once inside the building. "Hello", Augustus addressed the woman at the computer. I have something Mr. Slugworth might want to have."

Lampwick and Violet walked up behind Augustus as the woman answered him. "And just what would three children have that would be of interest to Mr. Slugworth.

"Don't you recognize two of us?" Augustus said. "I'm Augustus Gloop and the Girl is Violet Beauregarde. We were two of the golden ticket winners that lost the Special Prize of the Wonka Tour along with Mike Teavee. Mike hates chocolate and candies regardless of the brand and for that reason has decided not to accompany us on this little deal. This other boy Romeo Geppetto has taken his place in this arrangement.

"Once again," the woman at the computer said. "Exactly what do you have for Mr. Slugworth and what kind of arrangements do you wish to make with him?"

"What I have is the secret recipes for several popular Wonka Industries candies and several of the candies themselves that I saved from the supply Mr. Wonka has given us. You see all of us, got a lifetime supply of candies as a part of the golden ticket contest even if we did not win the special prize which turned out to be the Wonka factory itself when Willy Wonka retires and a candy making apprenticeship with him now."

"We know all of that already." the woman returned. "Now what about these recipes?"

"I had several of my candies analyzed by some chemists tied to organized crime in Dusseldorf and was able to get their exact ingredients listed, in addition as we said before we have several Wonka candies you can analyze yourselves. "It is the result of this analysis and the intact Wonka candies we have that I'm willing to turn over to Arthur Slugworth in return for a lifetime supply of Slugworth candies as Wonka is sure to cut me off as a result of this and for the same arrangement with Slugworth that Charlie Bucket has with Wonka. I mean Charlie got the Wonka's factory, Veruca got Salt's Nuts and Mike Teavee became a famous boy video game programmer and designer as a result of this golden ticket business. Now it is time for me and Violet to get OURS."

At that moment the woman picked up the privacy earphones for the telephone tied to her computer and made an internal call to Arthur Slugworth's office.

"Mr Slugworth". She said "There are three children who wish to make a deal for some Wonka candies and Wonka candy recipes that they claim to have gotten through independent analysis."

"And just who are these three?" Slugworth's voice came through the privacy earphones where it would be unheard by the children.

"Two of them are Wonka Golden Ticket winners Augustus Gloop and Violet Beauregarde. The third one calls himself Romeo Gepetto and claims to be replacing Mike Teavee who hates chocolate in their deal." the woman answered.

"And just what does this Romeo Geppetto look like." Slugworth returned.

"Just think of a miniature Faro dealer from 1881, 1882 or there abouts and you should get the idea. Do I have to explain any further?"

"Lampwick!" Slugworth returned. "That's one of those three kids from another world that were magically passed off as Oompa Loompas during the Golden Ticket tour contest! Whatever is going on here is FAKE

and some way for Wonka himself to get those kids into this factory and the Salt's Nuts factory. Probably to rescue Charlie Bucket. This is a very dangerous development for us, They could even know about the origin of the order for the Henry Salt hit and our smuggling and globalization activities and tell it all if they are allowed to leave here. Keep them there for a while until we can get the "special" security officers that Veruca Salt provided us with to take care of them."

"Mr. Slugworth has agreed to listen to your terms." the woman lied to the three kids before her.

"He will be sending representatives to escort you to his office soon."

Television Room, Wonka Industries Factory, UK, 2005:

This place was very familiar to Mike Teavee, Pinocchio and Peter. Only one thing was now different. Instead of the small globular television set the television part of the teleportation device there was now a theater sized screen.

"We had that installed so that you three could come back to this factory normal sized through it rather than having to go through an enlarging machine this time." Willy Wonka said pointing at the new giant screen. "That was designed with the proper perspective to keep any of you from shrinking like Mike did on his first trip through the Television Chocolate machine."

The other part of the Television Room, the teleporter itself remained the same as it was when Mike first saw it.

Willy continued with his explanations of the revised Television Room. "The new screen is also connected to the internet and Cyberspace and to the regular over the air, cable and satellite television stations as well as the studio section of this room of course."

"Then may I assume it is time to go?" Mike asked.

"Yes, will you three mount the central platform please and I will get things started." Willy answered.

Pinocchio, Peter and Mike mounted the teleporter platform and Willy pushed the now familiar giant red button that activated the teleporter. Just like before the white light the teleporter cameras emitted grew brighter and brighter as the teleporter three passengers floated to the center of the glass cylinder that closed upon the rising teleporter platform. At the apogee of its brightness the three boys disappeared only to re appear a few moments later on the Television Room's new giant screen.

However the three boys were seeing a different world. The world of Internet Cyberspace looked like a web of interconnected neon lights from their new perspective. Of course that is simply how their senses interpreted the realm of interconnected computers, television sets, cell phones and other Internet enabled devices into which they were teleported. The only thing that they could see of the conventional world was the giant screen that was now looking into the Television Room rather than out from it as was before.

"Which one of these lines do you think will lead us to Salt's Nuts." Pinocchio asked.

"It's not that easy." Mike returned. "First I have to find the Internet Service Provider server in Buckinghamshire that the Slugworths and the Salts use and it is only from there that we will be able to find our way to their factory computer systems."

Mike concentrated on the various cyberspace lines to find at least one leading to an ISP in Buckinghamshire. Finally after giving all of his attention to a green one which resembled green neon light of infinite length Mike saw it as THE one.

"JACKPOT!" Mike shouted to Pinocchio. "That green line will take us to Buckinghamshire! Let's follow it."

Pinocchio, Peter and Mike followed the green line. Like buildings in the conventional world the other lines became more widespread as Pinocchio, Peter and Mike left the town in which the Wonka Industries factory was located. Soon the green line was the only one they saw and this condition lasted until the active cyberspace lines of Buckinghamshire started intercepting it. They soon entered the main ISP Server in Buckinghamshire and once there Mike began looking for a line that would lead to either the Slugworth or Salt factories or for a lesser ISP server that would have that line as a part of its cyberspace activity. All three Mike, Pinocchio and Peter were ecstatic about the new powers they had. Inside the Internet all one had to do was think about a given location and they would be there if there was a PC, a laptop, a cell phone or a server computer open at the destination. Mike began to concentrate on an open laptop computer that looked out into what turned out to be the administration building of the Salt's Nuts factory. Almost immediately they saw Charlie Bucket and Veruca Salt accompanied by three Buckinghamshire Policemen.

Mike notice the word "Fascist" being bandied about between Veruca and the policemen.

"So that's it." Mike Teavee shouted, "the Public Order Act. She intends to use the British Public Order Act of 1936 to get Charlie locked up as a uniformed political radical. That would make Charlie ineligible for any inheritance with Willy Wonka and get his factory shut down when Willy has to retire or dies."

"The Junior Woodchucks a radical political organization?" Pinocchio shouted "POPPYCOCK! As Mr. Wonka would say. The Junior Woodchucks don't even have a moderate political bone in their body."

"I can also attest to that." Peter said. "After my own experiences with a genuine radical youth organization, the All Union Pioneers of Stalin's Soviet Union I Would never have joined the Junior Woodchucks if they were political."

"The conversation was stopped by Pinocchio observing one of the policemen searching Charlie's backpack and finding the Walther P-38 Veruca slipped into it.

"It looks like Charlie's done for." Mike said. "Not only are all handguns illegal in the United Kingdom but that one is a Walther P-38. I remember it from one of the very first video games to use 3d type graphics Wolfenstein 3d. It is a NAZI Weapon and they were the worst of the Fascists."

Suddenly an older male voice rang out. "There is an old saying that what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander."

The voice came from the stout bearded man who owned, built and engraved the Dead Man's Gun, The one who identified himself as the Tenth Plague on Egypt back in 1878 Deadwood.

"What do you mean?" Pinocchio asked.

"I gave you permission to use my gun for such a time as this. The girl named Veruca Salt must come to this laptop computer sooner or later to either turn it off or use the internet or one of its installed application programs. If you can get that gun out of the laptop screen at its original size when she is near it you might get the suspicions of the policemen directed at her rather than Charlie."

"Yes", Mike said "But how will you get it back? Police in gun controlled nations or communities usually destroy any weapons they confiscate these days."

"Don't worry about that." the bearded man returned. "That gun can never be destroyed until I myself will it. Many have tried to destroy it but none have succeeded."

Pinocchio, Mike, Peter and the Bearded man could then see Veruca approaching the laptop.

"Now is the time, Pinocchio." the bearded man said. "Remember what your favorite teacher from the 19th century, Mrs. Pietta told you about Leonardo De Vinci and perspective in art class. Use perspective on this side of the screen and my gun will go through it at its full size."

Realizing what the bearded man was talking about Pinocchio began to move backwards relative to the screen while at the same time keeping the same distance from it, a feat that could only be achieved in the virtual realm of cyberspace. When he felt that the perspective was right he took the Dead Man's Gun out of his red lederhosen ant tossed it at the screen. Just as the bearded man said it went through full sized and did not shrink.

Administration Office, Salt's Nuts, Buckinghamshire, UK, 2005:

Things seemed to be going fine for Veruca. The police search of Charlie's backpack turned up the NAZI handgun she had put in it seemingly confirming her contention that the Junior Woodchucks were a dangerous uniformed political group in violation of the Public Order Act of 1936. Charlie would also be seen as a violator of the United Kingdom's absolute gun control laws as a result of that search. However that soon changed again when the policeman tested the gun for fingerprints. It was soon determined that Charlie's fingerprints were never on the weapon. Someone put it in the backpack and the policeman had three guesses in mind as to who did it Veruca Salt, Veruca Salt, and Veruca Salt. However he decided to proceed with Charlie's arrest to see how Veruca would react. Once he announced Charlie's new status as an arrested person Veruca approached the open Laptop computer on her desk.

"I would like to accompany you to the station and see that the little fascist gets exactly what's coming to him." Veruca told Charlie's arresting officer. "But first I must turn this off."

Just as she approached the laptop another gun a fancy engraved antique Smith and Wesson Schofield with the Initials S and G on its side came out of the laptop screen as if thrown.

"So long SUCKER!" Mike Teavee's voice came from the machine.

"I hope you like this gift from me." Pinocchio's voice came through the laptop next. "I decided that since you put your own in Charlie's backpack that you might need another one."

"The policeman who arrested Charlie did not see the activity at the laptop but another one did.

"Stop the arrest." he shouted. "There's another illegal handgun on Veruca's desk. She is probably the owner of both of them and should therefore be the owner of any charges related to them as well. As for these Junior Woodchucks they just seem to be another alternative Scout like youth organization that Willy Wonka runs for Charlie and the Oompa Loompa children out of that chocolate factory of his to me, nothing political either left, right or chicken wing about them."

With that Charlie was released from his handcuffs and approached the laptop as soon as the policeman present there recovered the Dead Man's Gun and left the vicinity. He was very surprised to see what was on the screen. It was Mike Teavee, one of the kids from the Golden Ticket Tour accompanied by his friends from the other worlds of the Pleasure Islands Pinocchio and Peter.

"Now that for all intents and purposes we have got Charlie back how do we get him out of the Salt factory?" Pinocchio asked Mike.

"I remember what Mr. Wonka said when I was shrunk on the Golden Ticket tour." Mike answered. "Remember that he told me that the teleporter at that time was based on teleVISION, not the telePHONE basically saying that it was a one way system. Well now the teleporter is an internet enabled machine and the internet IS a two way text, audio, video system. You should be able to pull that perspective gimmick you used on the gun so that Charlie can shrink and come to us through this screen."

"Maybe we can do that with actual contact between me and Charlie." Pinocchio said as he reached his hand out of the screen. "Charlie." he continued. "Touch it."

Charlie touched the tiny hand and as a result he began to shrink. Pinocchio held onto him And soon he was through the screen. "Time to go home." he asked Pinocchio.

"Not quite," Mike broke in. "A chocolate factory will be our next stop but not Mr. Wonka's. I'm picking up some vibes from another internet line that Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregarde and Lampwick are in similar trouble to yours at the Slugworth Factory."

"You mean they came to help me too?" Charlie asked.

"Yes," Mike answered. "Pinocchio's Blue Fairy brought us all back together again with Mr. Wonka to rescue you from Veruca and the Slugworths. He rigged his television teleporter with internet enablement so that we could get into the Salt and Slugworth factories through their computer systems. You are about to participate in a little ride that is better than the Chocolate River boat and the Great Glass Elevator Charlie, an internet surfing trip from the INSIDE."

"Which way do we "surf", whatever that means?" asked Pinocchio.

"That red straight line." Mike answered pointing at the red neon light like line in question. It's a direct line between the Salt and Slugworth factories.

"Before we go I think you should get a message back to Mr. Wonka in some way that Charlie is safe. Peter said.

"Already done." Mike answered. "It will look like a giant DOS command line message on the new screen in the Television Room. An Oompa Loompa or maybe even himself is bound to see that."

Slugworth Chocolates factory, Buckinghamshire, UK, 2005:

Augustus, Violet and Lampwick sat in the administration office for what seemed like hours before the Slugworth representatives arrived. They were three rather large men who were completely covered up. They didn't even show their faces. Neither did they make any kind of sound.

The woman that Lampwick, Violet and Augustus had talked to at their arrival at Slugworth Chocolates pointed at the three. "There are the children in question, she said very tersely. "Take them to Mr. Slugworth."

Suddenly the three strange men rushed the Violet, Lampwick and Augustus and grabbed them. It was an overpowering grab that seemed well beyond human that practically took the breath from all three of them.

Furthermore they did not seem to walk as they moved from the administration office down a long corridor with a single door at the end of it. While it reminded the two golden ticket holders of the corridor that led to Willy Wonka's chocolate room what was inside the lone door at the end of it was a one hundred eighty degrees different. This room was supported by Greco-Roman columns engraved with sculpture of spiritual darkness and questionable taste. Similar sculpture was placed about the room itself in statuary form. The very center of this room was occupied by an opulent silver and oak desk behind which was a throne like chair in which was seated Arthur Slugworth.

"So, Willy Wonka has chosen you three to bring the Black Triangle trouble again." Arthur Slugworth directed his comments at Lampwick who he saw as the leader of the group. His appearance was weird but in a totally more creepy ways that Willy Wonka's harmless clownish wierdness. Slugworth was a semi balding man with a skull like face and a scar running from his left eyebrow to the bottom of his nose.

"You realize that the Black Triangle has had Henry Salt terminated for failing in the mission we gave him to shut down Wonka's factory during the Golden Ticket tour you fake Oompa Loompa." Slugworth said to Lampwick. "And you must also realize that we can never let you leave this factory either. However don't worry. Henry Salt's fate is not yours, that is unless you talk in juvenile prison. You see, you are going to jail with Willy Wonka's precious Charlie Bucket on a charge of industrial espionage in your cases and that should knock out any eligibility that you might have through the Golden Ticket contest to become heirs to Wonka's factory in place of Charlie.

"We don't intend to try to replace Charlie." Violet returned. "We lost that contest fair and square and realize that Charlie was the correct kid for Willy Wonka to choose as his apprentice and heir. We are here to rescue Charlie from your Black Triangle schemes to shut down Mr. Wonka's factory for what ever reason you might have."

"I would hold your tongue about Black triangle schemes if y were you." Slugworth said. You and Charlie will be going to a juvenile prison where we have plenty of gang members there that will shut you up permanently for just a little dope if you should blab out any of this conversation or anything else you may know about our operations. Now I would like to introduce you fully to the "special" security officers that Veruca Salt so graciously provided me with as a further inducement not to talk.

The three men let the kids go and then stripped themselves of all their covering. They turned out to be ink black shadowy beings that seemed to perfectly fit in with the spiritual darkness of the artwork in Slugworth's office. The only thing that was a different color about them was their glowing yellow viper eyes. They were Pleasure Island Minions.

"Hope this works again, Willy." Violet whispered to herself as she set a white gum ball in her snapping fingers and shot it at one of the minions with her finger snap. The gumball went into the minion and within seconds its eyes became a glowing light purple. Violet shot two more gumballs at the other minions with the same results. More time passed and they changed from black to a blueberry violet color.

"Well it looks like your new security officers are turning violet by way of Violet." Lampwick said. Let's watch the rest of this, it should be fun.

By this time the minions had turned fully violet blue and were in the swelling up process of the blueberry conversion. Pretty soon they were such large full blueberries that they exploded like giant blueberry juice water balloons that splattered and soaked Arthur Slugworth. However none of it hit Violet, Augustus or Lampwick because they knew in advance what was going to happen due to Violet's already having gone through this process and protected themselves from it behind the statuary. They also knew that the minions were not killed by this but the explosion simply sent them back to their own world where they re integrated. They took advantage of Arthur Slugworth's soaking in blueberry juice to escape his office.

However at the end of the corridor to Slugworth's office a more conventional force waited in the form of uniformed security guards and the secretarial pool of the administration office. These were far too much for

Violet Augustus and Lampwick to handle alone. They decided that Slugworth alone was a better bet in confrontation as he would likely simply have more minions in his office and they would be easily taken care of with Wonka's modified three course meal gum. There was also a desktop computer in Slugworth's office that was always on. This would allow Mike, Pinocchio, Peter and Charlie to reach them from the Internet. Besides Slugworth was in need of a change of clothing and a bath after the latest three course meal gum incident involving the minions and would probably be out of the office and in his factory residence.

As they figured the office was empty when Lampwick, Violet and Augustus returned to it again. Violet made her way straight to the computer and she used what she knew of such machines to open up a direct line between Slugworth Chocolates and Salt's nuts, a line that would show up as red in cyberspace. Soon the screen changed from that of the latest version of Microsoft Windows to an Internet explorer window that was black in its client area with various neon like lights running in a 3d manner throughout it also on the screen were four familiar kids, Pinocchio, Peter, Mike Teavee and the one that the whole trip through the internet was for, Charlie Bucket.

"We will have to come with you through the Internet." Violet said to Mike. "The main office here is full of guards and secretarial personnel with orders to keep us here."

"Pinocchio will have to do that." Mike returned. "He has this Leonardo De Vinci perspective gimmick here in cyberspace that will allow him to shrink you and get you through this screen.

Pinocchio held his hand to the screen. "Touch my hand." he told Violet.

Violet did so and passed through the screen.

"Now you Augustus," Pinocchio said. "Touch my hand."

Augustus responded, shrunk and passed through the screen.

It was at this time that the office door opened and the security officers rushed in.

"Never mind them," Pinocchio said. "You know that they can't be armed in this country. Touch my hand.

Lampwick followed Pinocchio's instructions and was safe in cyberspace well before any of the guards or secretaries could reach the computer to turn it off. However turning it off did cause somewhat of a problem for Mike. He was intending to use the red line to get back to Salt's Nuts in order to get to the Buckinghamshire ISP server with the green line that would take them back to the Wonka television room.

Now he would have to look for another route back to the Buckinghamshire ISP server with the green line.

He concentrated on all the nearby lines until his attention was particularly drawn to a yellow one that seemed to be connected to the Slugworth administration offices.

"That yellow line." Mike announced. "It connects Slugworth Chocolates to the Buckinghamshire Server we came from. Form there we can follow the green line back to Wonka's.

With that all the kids followed Mike along the yellow line and then the green line. Those who have never seen the inside of the internet were astonished by the network of neon light like lines that cyberspace represented itself as in their limited senses. It was an entirely different experience than the barrel ride between Pleasure Islands that Pinocchio, Lampwick and Peter, and Charlie were familiar with or the boat ride through the lighted pipes On the Wonkatainia that Charlie, Violet and Mike were familiar with. This network seemed to represent well the concentration of population in cities and its thinning out in rural areas which was again seen as they followed the green line back to Willy Wonka's factory. Once again the lines thickened into a web of neon like lights as the town where the Wonka Industries factory was located came into cyberspace view. Soon a huge screen was before them. It opened out into the Wonka factory television room.

"It seems that Willy has made some improvements to the television room since I was last in the factory." Charlie said.

"Yes," Mike returned. "He added this giant screen to the teleporter system so that we won't shrink coming out like I did when we first came here for the golden ticket contest. He seems to know about this perspective thing too just like Pinocchio does."

All of the families involved were in the television room waiting for the kids' return this time with both parents where Mike Teavee, Augustus Gloop, and Violet Beuregarde was concerned, Charlie's parents and grandparents were also there as was Geppetto, Stromboli, the two anthropomorphic animals John Worthington Fox and Gideon Cat and the overweight donkey the Coachman now was. Flying above them was the Blue Fairy and the bearded reaper who created the Dead Man's Gun. Needless to say all the children stepped through the screen to a grand reunion in the television room.

It was then that Willy Wonka talked to Clarlie for a little while and then made an announcement. "Charlie and I have decided that since you other three golden ticket winners have turned over new leaves and helped at the risk of your lives in bringing him back here that you should share in the Special Prize too. Mike Teavee, this television room now is partially yours so that you can reach the factory by Teleportation as you call it when ever you wish to. I have arranged with your father to have another teleporter set up at your home that will not shrink you so that you can move back and fourth through the Internet. Furthermore we are thinking about a line of video games based on our candies that we would like you to program and develop for us. Violet Beuregarde, we have decided to make use of your athletic and martial arts talents to train the Oompa Loompas in self defense so that they can protect Charlie from an event like this from ever happening again. You will also be given full access to the factory. "Augustus Gloop, since you have moderated your candy intake considerably since the Golden Ticket tour we have decided to make you our first non Oompa Loompa candy taster since this factory was temporarily closed down and you too shall have full factory access.

"Well," Mike returned, "Just as long as I only have to program and develop video games based on chocolate and not EAT it I'm fine with this.

"I'll go along too." Violet said. "Being a teacher of athletics and martial arts rather than just a constant competitor may be a good change for me."

"Me too," Said Augustus Gloop. "Just as long as I don't have to test chocolate directly from that river of yours Mr. Wonka, didn't like what happened much the first time.

"What did it look like to be in these future peoples' communication system?" Geppetto asked his children.

"Sort of weird." Pinocchio said. "The whole thing seems to consist of a spider web of intersecting light lines

That are much thicker in cities than they are in rural districts."

"It was indeed a different and more amazing thing that I ever saw before." Said Peter.

"The Jump through the Internet was great." Lampwick said. "But one thing still worries me. I don't think that the Slugworths and the Salts are finished with Charlie and Mr. Wonka yet. That Arthur Slugworth is pure wickedness. He looks like death warmed over." Then Lampwick saw the bearded man who owned and created the Dead man's Gun with the Blue Fairy.

"Sorry," Lampwick said to the man. "No offense."

"None taken." The bearded man returned.

"With that the meeting in the television room began to break up with most of the participants headed to the administration section of the factory by way of the Wonkatania. Only Charlie Bucket, Willy Wonka, Geppetto and his family and the Beauregarde family remained in the television room.

"Now for you Charlie." Willy said. "I still think it is not safe for you to stay at the factory at least until the Oompa Loompas are well trained by Ms. Violet Beuregarde so you are going straight back to the Duckburg world and the wardship with the Junior Woodchucks. You will of course continue in your current factory job of overseeing the candy deliveries to both Pleasure Island amusement parks as well. Besides the Blue Fairy promised Violet a trip to one of the other worlds as a part of her reward for her actions in your behalf and we can take care of that with your return to the Duckburg World.

With no further ado Willy opened the doors of the Great Glass Elevator and he, Charlie and his family, Violet and her family and Pinocchio and his family started to enter."

Then Willy announced "Geppetto" and pointed at the donkey Coachman. "Will you please bring THAT into the elevator and take him home with you. If that cursed animal ever fell into my chocolate river it would be an even bigger contaminant than Augustus Gloop was.

Geppetto brought the donkey into the elevator and then Charlie pressed the button for the Duckburg world. The elevator then went on its Up and Out trajectory headed for the Wishing Star and the Duckburg World.

Next - Violet Beuregarde visits the Duckburg Pleasure Island as guests of Pinocchio and Charlie Bucket. The latest song from the Oompa Loompas razzing Veruca Salt and Arthur Slugworth.


	6. Violet Sees a New World:

Chapter 6 - Violet Sees a New World:

The Great Glass Elevator: Between the Willy Wonka and Duckburg Worlds:

Violet Beuregarde and her parents were amazed by this trip, especially by the wishing star wormhole that they were now going through. Though the passing light lines and sparks reminded her of the cyberspace view of the inside of the Internet there was much different about it too, sort of a mixture of the Internet and the lighted pipe tunnels that the Wonkatania traveled through all in one crazy space ride. Once the elevator passed out of the wishing star the earth was before them again. But it was a different earth. One where the inhabitants were anthropomorphic animals and California was a divided state with Charlie's friends here living in the northern division of it known as Calisota.

Soon the elevator's landing site came into view. A small blacktop area near a large spherical building that was a part of a spectacular amusement park. "I think Mike Teavee would have liked this ride too." Violet commented.

"Well maybe we can arrange for a trip for him too later." Charlie returned. "I think that would be a good payment for developing a couple of great candy based video games."

Needless to say there was a reception committee there consisting of Junior Woodchuck adult personnel along with the regular members of the three patrols of the Pleasure Islands Troop including Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck and Doofus McQuack.

"This world's amazing." Violet said. "Those people actually look like ducks, dogs with hairless faces, chickens, pigs and the like but in many ways they are exactly like us and with some true human people exactly like us mixed among them."

"Those are orphans and unwanted children from my own world in 1882." Pinocchio said. "The Pleasure Islands of both of these worlds are now committed to their care and education rather than turning them into donkeys like they used to be."

This statement gave Violet a lot to think about as the Great Glass Elevator made its final landing on Pleasure Island Duckburg:

Buckinghamshire Police Station, Buckinghamshire, UK, 2005:

It was a very strange phone call that Chief Inspector Welson was in the process of receiving. It was from no less than the Governor of the Bank of England.

"I hear that you have a girl named Veruca Salt in your custody." the Governor said over the phone.

"Yes," Inspector Welson returned. "She is being held on charges of making a false police report and the possession of handguns."

"She is to be released immediately." the Governor said.

"Sorry, that can't happen." Inspector Welson returned. "Ms. Veruca Salt is up on very serious charges and may well get some hard Juvenile detention time. I mean making bogus police reports about a harmless youth organization in a candy factory and being a child in the possession of not one but two handguns? Sorry but there is no way she can be released.

"Well I've got a little news for you." the Governor said "Those gun laws are NOT for superior beings like Veruca Salt and myself and others of the Black Triangle. They are for the inferiors and terminally stupid peasant peoples of the world like the Wonkas, Teavees, Beuregardes, Gloops, Buckets and yourself. You even have a job because OUR central banks print and lend your pitiful State its money supply at interest but without printing the interest. Can you imagine would happen to your pitiful job and the equally pitiful State it serves if our loans were CALLED? Well the result would be INSTANT DEFAULT because the interest part of the State's debt would be unplayable. Get the picture inferior PEASENT? Release Veruca or we CALL the loans that make up your State's money supply.

It was at this point that Inspector Welson put down the phone and started making the arrangements for Veruca's release. He was actually afraid for Willy Wonka and the Bucket family. They both seem to have stepped into the path of an evil larger than themselves, larger than the United Kingdon and perhaps as large as all the organized wickedness in the world itself.

Pleasure Island Duckburg, Duckburg, Calisota, 1956:

Amongst the others present at the Great Glass Elevator's landing were the adult Junior Woodchucks in charge of temporary wardship for the organization and Huey, Dewey and Louie Duck.

"Welcome back Charlie!" they all shouted when Charlie stepped off the elevator.

"General Huey!" Charlie returned giving the Junior Woodchuck salute.

"No need for formalities here." Huey returned. "We know that it was not your fault that you were captured by Veruca. No one can resist a magical being like Magica De Spell on their own."

"Then we still have the same problem." Charlie said. "What if Veruca should use Magica again?"

"Then we'll just have to see Unca Scrooge about that." Huey returned. "He is the undisputed leader in anti sorceress technology in the entire Duckburg world. Maybe he can even rig the chocolate factory with unca Scrooge's anti sorceress devices and allow you and your family's return there earlier than planned."

"That would be great if it could happen." Charlie said. "The Duckburg world is great and I would like to see Pinocchio's world one day too, but the chocolate factory is still the greatest place in the world to me."

"Well then, I'll arrange to get unca Donald to talk to unca Scrooge about outfitting the Chocolate Factory against Magica and also Veruca thereby."

"Wait a minute Charlie." Willy broke in. "I know that you would like to come back to the factory but it still may not be safe even with anti sorceress protection. You have to remember that Veruca has those Pleasure Island Minions and that Black Triangle organization working for her. I still think you should wait here with the Junior Woodchucks until Violet has fully trained the Oompa Loompas in martial arts and the use of anti minion weapons like the anti minion revision of the three course meal gum. I most certainly don't want you abducted by Veruca again because next time she may be after more serious revenge than a simple juvenile detention sentence based on some obscure British law that Magica dug up out of the law books.

"Don't I know that." Charlie returned. "She threatened to "Augustus Gloop" me in her own factory river that leads to a walnut cracker and shredder and probably have the minions make a song about it like the Oompa Loompas did during the factory tour."

"Well she did didn't she!" Willy said. "Well I may just have to remind her that the next time she meets the squirrels the incinerator just may be LIT if she is going to do anything similar to you."

Huey then broke into the conversation. "Who is this girl who came with you Charlie?"

"Violet Beuregarde", Charlie returned. "She is one of the other Golden Ticket winners who helped with my rescue from Veruca Salt. She is being rewarded with a trip to this world and amusement park. I also intend to bring Augustus Gloop and Mike Teavee here sometime to because they also helped."

"I'm glad of that." Huey said. "I would like to meet the other Golden Ticket winners. Except for Veruca Salt of course. All of us have had our fill of her when she and Magica grabbed you."

"Remember Charlie." Willy broke back in. "You still have a job here overseeing the Candy deliveries to the Pleasure Island parks but for now I think maybe you should get Pinocchio or one of the Duck brothers to accompany you in showing Violet around the Island before she has to leave."

"I would be glad to show Violet around the Island with Charlie both Pinocchio and Huey said. Lets start with Charlie's and Willy's concession stand. Its right near the Roller Coaster.

"There is one more thing I forgot to tell you Charlie." Willy broke in. "There are a couple more surprises waiting for you very soon at the factory. First is that the Oompa Loompas have arranged another song about your escape to present to the Salts and the Slugworths over their Internet connection and they have invited all the other golden ticket winners including you to join them in presenting it. The second is that they voted you the first mate of the Wonkatania and made another uniform to add to your Junior Woodchuck ones in your wardrobe.

"But you said that it is too soon to return to the factory now." Charlie returned.

"Regularly yes," Willy said. "But in this case you will have the Oompa Loompas, myself, the SQUIRRELS and the other Golden Ticket Winners with you. You will be safe with them, especially when I tell Veruca what might happen to her if she should try to confront the squirrels again. Now go with Pinoke and show Violet around this Island of his and his father's, go on, SKOOT!

Needless to say the first site that Charlie chose to show violet was the Wonka candy concession by the roller coaster. This was a very modern stand that displayed on its back shelves virtually all the popular Wonka bar flavors. Shelves on the sides were reserved for other popular Wonka candies that were not chocolate like SweeTarts, WonkaJelly beans, Pixie stix, Gobstoppers and the like. From there Pinocchio took over the tour and showed Violet the roller coaster itself. Even though it was a steel coaster it used the same very artistically elaborate carved wooden cars as the wooden one back on Pleasure Island Collodi did.

"Geppetto built these cars on his own?" Violet asked Pinocchio looking admiringly at each elaborate and delicate detail of the carving and painting on the now still roller coaster cars.

"Yes," Pinocchio returned. "My father is the best wood carver in 19th Century Italy, at least OUR 19th century Italy, I don't know about other timelines."

The carousel and the other rides exhibited these same fine qualities of mixed modern steal construction together with wooden animals and other seating areas displaying Gepetto's great carving and painting skills.

The next stop after the rides area was the carnival games area. This area was particularly interesting to Violet because Lampwick who led her "loser" song at the chocolate factory in the magical guise of an Oompa Loompa ran a slingshot shooting gallery in the game area of both parks and she was hoping to meet him in his real form at that game in the Duckburg Park.

Violet was not disappointed. Handing out slingshots in the game booth for the shooting gallery was Lampwick. Violet finally saw him in his true form as a tallish lanky boy whose appearance was the source of his nickname.

"Hi, miss blueberry." Lampwick shouted to Violet upon seeing her. Want to try a slingshot for a quarter?"

"Don't mind if I do, Mr. He-Haww, "Violet returned reminding him of his own rather undesirable form change due to undesirable behavior.

It may be the fact that both underwent very radical form changes in their short lifetimes but Violet and Lampwick soon became good friends. And she spent several days talking to him and shooting targets for free at the slingshot shooting gallery While Willy Wonka, Scrooge McDuck, Geppeto and the Junior Woodchucks were arranging Charlie's temporary return to the Chocolate factory for the Oompa Loompa song against Veruca Salt and his investiture as the first mate of the Wonkatania as voted by those same Oompa Loompas. It was a good thing that Lampwick was NOT giving away any prizes for those free shooting gallery sessions because Violet soon showed herself to be the same competitive expert at the game she always was albeit a lot more humble and sportsmanlike than she used to be.

Finally it was decided that Charlie would get to spend a whole day at the factory for the Oompa Loompa song and his promotion to the Wonkatania's First Mate and would return to the Duckburg World and his ward status with the Junior Woodchucks and delivery supervisor status for the factory on the sunrise of the next day. Once the decision was made Charlie and his entire family and Violet and her family accompanied Willy Wonka to the Elevator which promptly took off when Charlie pressed the Return To Factory button.

After that came another ride through the Wishing Star wormhole and a trip through space to the Great Britain of 2005. Once there the familiar castle like smokestacks of the Wonka Industries factory came into view The elevator was headed toward the largest of those smokestacks. Once inside that smokestack Charlie and Violet were treated to something they never got to see before. This was the area where the Wonka Bars from the manufacturing room were sent to the packing room. While one would think these manufacturing details were the most boring part of the factory in fact they were as beautiful and unique as the factory's other rooms.

The main part of the transfer area occupied the lower part of the main smokestack that was inside the building and consisted of a series of spiral lights. Following these lights down in the same spiral pattern were a series of perfectly formed parachutes each carrying a single Wonka Bar in a silver tray to the packaging room at the bottom of the smokestack. Once in the packaging room the elevator again took a sideways track headed for the Television Room, this time for the studio side of the room rather than the teleporter side.

"Violet," Willy said. "You will take your family and go into the studio of the Television Room when this elevator stops. Charlie and I have another date in the Chocolate Room."

"What date is that?" Charlie asked.

"You really didn't forget this soon." Willy answered. "Your promotion by the Oompa Loompas to First Mate of the Wonkatania of course."

"But I thought that would be after the Oompa Loompa song on the Salts and the Slugworths." Charlie said.

"The Oompa Loompas are very anxious for you to accept this position." Willy Returned. "They even replaced the regular first mate's position with a chair and a kettle drum just your size." With that Willy pushed the elevator button for the Chocolate Room.

Chocolate Room, Winka Industries Factory, UK, 2005

Several hundred Oommpa Loompas were waiting in the Chocolate Room for Willy and Charlie when the great glass elevator arrived. They were all assembled around a small dressing cabin close to where the great candy and glass boat Wankatania was moored. All of them wore the sky blue of the Oompa Loompas who were designated as the boat's crew. The leader of this special group was named Nekule-Sar.

Upon seeing Charlie Nekule-Sar said, "Charlie, your Junior Woodchuck uniform won't do for this ceremony. We have set up the cabin so you can make the change.

Charlie understood and entered the dressing cabin. A few minutes later he re emerged in a specially designed Civilian ship's officers uniform designed for the tropical environment of the Chocolate factory that the Oompa Loompas required. This consisted of a white visor cap with the intermeshed WW symbol that the Oompa Loompas wore on it as a silver badge. This badge was also overt the upper left pocket of the sky blue short sleeve shirt that made up the second part of Charlie's new uniform. This shirt also had black shoulder boards with the three stripes of a Civilian ship's first officer on them. A darker blue tie formed the remainder of this part of the uniform. The uniform was rounded out with white short pants with sky blue long socks and black shoes.

"Charlie." Nekule-Sar then said upon his re emergence, "It is my great honor to present you with the position that goes along with being Willy's apprentice and co owner of this factory of being the first officer of the great boiled sweet and glass boat Wonkatania." Nekule-Sar then presented Charlie with yet another golden ticket. This one much larger than the one he originally came to the factory with, about the size of a High School diploma. This ticket was every bit as pretentious as the original one with the name WONKA GOLDEN COMMISSION standing out and announcing in Willy's usual long winded way that Charlie now had first officer status on the Wonkatania. Nekule-Sar then handed a couple of kettle drum sticks to Charlie. "You will now perform your first act of command by returning with us on the Wonkatania to the studio section of the Television Room for your last duty here before returning to the Duckburg World and the Junior Woodchucks.

With that Charlie took the new seat in front of the kettle drum and behind the boat's seahorse head. The rest of the blue suited Oompa Loompas who were designated oarsmen for that day took to their oars and Willy took the rearmost seat in the boat under the seahorse tail where he could see Charlie under its head with the kettle drum sticks ready to go.

"Okey-dokey," Charlie said. "Television Room, Studio section, FOREWARD!" He began beating on the kettle drum in the slow equal way that he remembered the drummer doing it in his first trip on the boat during the Golden Ticket tour. This time the boat was headed up the river where it encountered a lock that closed and filled with chocolate moving the boat upward. At this point it entered another rapids pipe that took the boat to what turned out to be the base of Fudge Mountain. This base area had a resemblance to the chocolate room but with the candy trees resembling alpine conifers like pines, spruces and firs. Once past the Fudge Mountain room the boat entered another pipe but not one with rapids. This one eventually took the boat to the entrance to the Studio section of the Television Room.

Most of the parts for Mike Teavee's trap were still in place but a second newsroom was added to it designed at a larger size so to as to accommodate full sized adult humans and children as well as Oompa Loompas. The squirrels were arranged on stools before the news anchor's desk in five descending rows of stools accommodating 20 squirrels apiece. Also present were several hundred Oompa Loompas, Violet Beuregarde and Augustus Gloop. Willy Wonka took the main position behind the desk and told Charlie to take the secondary position behind the two person desk.

"Mike Teavee is finished with the hacking to the Slugworth and Salt factory computer systems. We will soon be telecastingcasting to their factory computer networks by Internet." Willy said to Charlie.

"And where is Mike now." Charlie asked.

"In the main Television room waiting for the broadcast to begin." Willy returned. "He will be back here to accompany the rest of the Golden Ticket Winners minus Veruca Salt as soon as the Internet telecastcast begins."

Suddenly a bright red light appeared on one of the conventional television cameras pointed at Willy and Charlie behind the new anchor desk. At that point a pair of theatrical sized screens showed the administration areas of the Salt and Slugworth factories respectively. In the Salt factory one could see that Pleasure Island Minions were even doing the secretarial duties that were once performed by regular employees in the Salt's Nuts factory just as Oompa Loompas did at Willy's and Charlie's factory.

"We are breaking into your Black Triangle activities and horrible candy making for a very important message." Willy anounced to all the administrative personel of the two factories. "This message is particularly for Veruca Salt and Arthur Slugworth if they have the guts to show up before a webcam."

Suddenly Arthur Slugworth and Veruca Salt could be seen in the theater sized screens of the studio section of the Television room.

"What is this all about Wonka." Veruca snapped. "You should know by now that I don't make deals with inferior peasents like you, Charlie Bucket, Mike Teavee, Augustus Gloop and Violet Beuregarde."

"Come to think of Charlie its time for you to look at a little something garbage girl." Willy returned. He then left the anchor desk leaving Charlie there smiling and even laughing a little bit somewhat like an Oompa Loompa in the know about what's happening next.

"Hello, Veruca," Charlie said. "As you can see I'm back with Mr. Wonka safe and sound. As you can see the SQUIRRELS are here with me too and I'm pretty sure that you know what THAT means should you try to invade this room through Magica's magic or by any other means we don't know about yet. I hope you appreciated our little gift through the Internet when I was rescued by the other three Golden Ticket winners and Pinocchio's family you little rotten nut. And now the Oompa Loompas and us four remaining Golden Ticket winners are going to treat you to a little song whose tune came from the same era our little "gift" did.

Suddenly the studio section of the Television room started filling up with saloon piano music mixed with other 19th Centrury American instruments. The three other golden ticket winners joined Charlie behind the anchor desk with the Oompa Loompas taking positions before it and then all of them started the song.

Oompa Loompa and Golden Ticket winner Song

Sung to the tune of Grandfather's Clock by Henry Clay Work (1876):

_Now Veruca Salt and old Arthur Slugworth,_

_They concocted a spoiled rotten scheme._

_Of abducting the heir to the Wonka fortune,_

_For their Wonka bar shutting down dream._

_But these dopes could not see, That the boy named Mike Teavee,_

_Would crack Salt's Nuts on young Charlie's side._

_So Veruca, goes down the chute again,_

_And her scheme has died._

_The Salts and the Slugworths are_

_Losers - Losers_

_Their failed schemes now show that they're_

_Losers - Losers_

_Veruca, goes down the chute again,_

_And her scheme has died._

_Now Veruca Salt was a spoiled rotten girl,_

_And from the tour was given the boot._

_The squirrels they knew she's a really bad nut,_

_So they put her down the garbage chute._

_And one more would be sent, Down the chute her father went,_

_As for Arthur Slugworth he had spied._

_So Veruca, goes down the chute again,_

_And her scheme has died._

_The Salts and the Slugworths are,_

_Losers - Losers._

_Their failed schemes now show that they're,_

_Losers - Losers._

_Veruca, goes down the chute again,_

_And her scheme has died._

_Now Veruca Salt and Magica De Spell,_

_Made a plan that they thought would go well._

_Grab Charlie Bucket and inform the police,_

_With a lie that would seem a good sell._

_But we spoiled her fun, when we took the Dead Man's Gun._

_And put it through the screen to her side._

_So Veruca, goes down the chute again,_

_And her scheme has died._

_The Salts and the Slugworths are,_

_Losers - Losers._

_Their failed schemes now show that they're,_

_Losers - Losers._

_Veruca, goes down the chute again,_

_And her scheme has died._

_Now Veruca Salt and old Arthur Slugworth,_

_No more plans or more schemes you should try._

_To shut down our business with treason and lies,_

_For your schemes they just never will fly._

_The next chute ride you get, the furnace just may be lit._

_And to a lake of fire you may ride._

_So Veruca, goes down the chute again,_

_And her scheme has died._

_The Salts and the Slugworths are,_

_Losers - Losers._

_Their failed schemes now show that they're,_

_Losers - Losers._

_Veruca, goes down the chute again,_

_And her scheme has died._

_Oompa Loompa doompity do,_

_I have another puzzle for you._

_Oompa Loompa dooma da de,_

_If you are wise you will listen to me._

_Revenge kidnapping's a felony crime,_

_You'll stay in prison the rest of your time._

_And once inside here's what's to be done,_

_Here's the warden's idea of fun._

_Make Little,_

_Make little,_

_Make little,_

_Make little,_

_Make little rocks of big ones._

_Oompa Loompa doompity da,_

_Give up revenge and you will go far._

_You will live in happiness too._

_Like the Oompa Loompa doompity do._

_Doompity do,_ Charlie added at the end of the song.

Willy Wonka then returned to the screen.

"Remember what was said here." Willy said to all the personel at the Slugworth and Salt factories forced to watch this internet telecast. "The squirrels are still going to see the BOTH of Veruca Salt and Arthur Slugworth as a bad nut for your own plot to send my apprentice and co factory owner to Veruca's walnut shelling machine or do anything else with him. And the next time the incinerator furnace may just be LIT. Remember that." Willy then shut off the broadcast in such a way that it was the equivalent of old fashion phone slamming.

Willy then addressed Charlie. "You still have the rest of the day here before you have to return to the Duckburg world and the Junior Woodchucks. Is there any place you would like to visit here?"

"Yes," Charlie answered. "The base of fudge mountain looks like an interesting place to explore and I haven't been there yet."

"Good," Willy returned. "Fudge mountain it is. Now please take your position at the Wonkatania's drum and we shall go there.

With that Willy and Charlie left the studio section of the Television room and boarded the boat with Charlie taking the first officer's position under the boat's head and Willy taking his accustomed position under the tail.

"To the Fudge Mountain Room, " Charlie announced, "FOREWARD!" he then started beating the drum with the slow even beat that assured smooth rowing by the Wonkatania's Ooopa Loompa oresmen.

Contraband Firearms Disposal Center, Buckinghamshire, UK, 2005.

It sat in the pile of contraband guns rather anonymously despite its fancy engraving. Some may consider it a legal antique but it was here with the rest of the criminally used or illegally owned firearms collected in Buckinghamshire during the week.

Here nobody bothered to look into why it had no identifying marks even though it was obviously an antique Smith and Wesson design from the 19th century in pristine condition. The policemen who worked in the contraband firearms disposal unit made several attempts to destroy this gun by melting it down and putting it through metal compressors and shredders but none of this worked. Not even acid baths or explosives could destroy this particular gun. They finally decided that the only way to get rid of this particular piece of contraband would be to entomb it in metal made from other firearms that could be destroyed and burry the whole thing.

This final step to dispose of the strange antique gun was done during the same time that the Oompa Loompa song against Veruca Salt's plans for Charlie was being sung in the Wonka Industries candy factory. The gun and its metal tomb was buried in an undisclosed location while Charlie was enjoying his exploration of Fudge Mountain's base.

However none of this stopped the gun's real bearded owner. His mere presence at the site seemed to cause the gun's tomb to unearth itself and break apart revealing the Dead Man's Gun to the world again. It was still in completely pristine condition with its fancy gold engraving highlighted by the stylized S and G initials on its frame fully intact. It literally flew into its original owner's hand as he extended his hand toward it.

"Your time of destruction is not yet." the bearded man said to the gun. "You still have many dates left in 19th century America and "bad nuts" as Mr. Wonka calls them to punish before I can let that happen." Gradually the bearded man changed into his true form, a skeleton in a cowelled robe with a scythe in one hand and the Dead Man's Gun in the other. He used the scythe's power to restore the busted tomb minus the Dead Man's Gun to an intact condition and re bury it so the site would look as if it had never been tampered with. "When you are through in the 19th Century you will be returned to this site as your mode of destruction." the Angel of Death said to the gun. "They will never know that you were taken back to the 19th Century to finish your work." with that he faded out of the 21st century and back into 19th century America to deposit the gun at the site where its next scheduled possessor would find it.

Fudge mountain room, Wonka Industries Factory, UK, 2005:

Willy woke Charlie up. "It's time to return to the Duckburg world."

"But its still the afternoon outside, isn't it?" Charlie asked.

"No, you were so busy in this room that you lost track of time and went to sleep here," Willy answered. "Its almost sunrise and I promised your family and the Junior Woodchucks that I would have you back with them this morning.

Charlie took one last look at the candy conifer trees and other alpine vegetation replicas that surrounded him and Willy in the Fudge mountain room. "Then we must get through the wishing star quickly." he said.

"No time for the boat."

"Don't worry about that." Willy said. "The elevator is right behind that candy pine tree." He pointed to the largest of the nearby pine trees. "Your Junior Woodchuck uniform is in there so you can change in the elevator before we take off. I'll take the First Officer's uniform and put it in your closet here once I return to the factory from the Duckburg World."

After a few minutes Charlie was ready for Willy to return to the elevator and once both of them were inside Charlie pushed the button for Pleasure Island Duckburg. The elevator went sideways through the fudge mountain room and then up the transfer area of the great chimney making sure not to disturb the path of any of the little parachutes carrying Wonka Bars to the packaging rooms. Than it was Up and out and through the Wishing Star Wormhole.

Pleasure Island Duckburg, Duckburg, Calisota, 1956.

All of them waited. Charlie's four Grandparents and his parents waited, Pinocchio, Lampwick and Peter waited, The three Duck brothers Huey, Dewey and Louie waited. They all waited. The great glass elevator was only a little late but it was late.

"I wonder if something else happened to Charlie." Pinocchio said.

"Probably not." Grandpa Joe said. "Small delays have to be expected. After all Mr. Wonka's candy factory is many times bigger than any other and contains thousands of rooms many the size of football fields. And one has to remember there is the space journey from the earth to the Wishing Star through it and back to the earth again to be considered. My guess is that Charlie and Willy will be arriving any minute now.

Almost as if Grandpa Joe were a prophet the glass elevator could be seen heading for a landing on Pleasure Island Duckburg at the black top field by the barrel ride.

Once its doors opened the first thing Charlie did was salute the Duck brothers all of whom outranked him in the Junior Woodchucks. The duck brothers returned the salute.

"By the way." Huey said to Charlie. "With Pinocchio's family back here you are no longer a ward of the Junior Woodchucks but just a regular member. That means that you can stay with us at Unca Scrooge's money bin or go with Pinocchio and his adopted brothers to their world to stay for the rest of your stay with us however long that is."

"The money bin." Charlie returned. "I would like to see Pinocchio's world one of these days but I had enough timeline hopping for now."

"Fine," Pinocchio said. "You can see my world anytime you want. You have a button for it in the elevator when you are allowed to fully return to the factory and you also have access to the barrel ride as a member of the Junior Woodchuck troop here."

With that Charlie, his family and the Duck boys left Pinocchio, Lampwick and Peter at the barrel ride building and walked to the bridge connecting Pleasure Island Duckburg to the mainland. There the Rolls Royce waited that would take them to Scrooge's money bin.

Thus the adventures on three separate Worlds resolved themselves.

In the World of Willy Wonka Charlie was elevated in his apprenticeship and inheritance of the candy factory by being made the first officer of its boat transport system as well and Veruca Salt lost in her Black triangle schemes again.

In the 19th Century Western World of the Dead Man's Gun the afore mentioned weapon was returned to its original status turning the Coachman into a donkey nonce again in the process.

In the Duckburg world Charlie was once again safe in the custody of Scrooge McDuck in the place most secure against sorceresses and the likes of Veruca Salt and the Black triangle, Scrooge's money bin.


End file.
